California Considers Extending Foster Care for Young Adults Until Pandemic Emergency Ends

SANJOSE,CALI FORNI A

PUBLI SHEDJUNE22,2020

CLAUDI ABOYDBARRETT

CALI FORNI ACONSI DERSEXTENDI NG FOSTERCAREFORYOUNG ADUL TS UNTI LPANDEMI C EMERGENCYENDS Att hebegi nni ngofMar ch,Mons eGonz al ezhadherent i r eyearpl anned.Shewoul dgr aduat ef r om communi t ycol l ege,s av epar tofherpaycheck sasachi l dcar ewor k er ,ands t ar ts chool atUCSant aBar bar a.

Thencamet hepandemi c .

Suddenl y,ev er yt hi ngGonz al ez ,1 8,hadwor k edf orwasi nj eopar dy:herj ob,herhous i ng,heras s oci at e ’ s degr ee.Whi l emanyyoungadul t shav ef ami l i est ol eanondur i ngt hes euncer t ai nt i mes ,asayoungadul ti n Cal i f or ni a’ sf os t ercar es ys t em,Gonz al ez ’ smai ns uppor ti sher s el f . “ Iwantt omak es ur et hatI ’ l l beabl et ohav ear oofov ermyhead, ”s ai dGonz al ez ,whohasbouncedbet ween mul t i pl ef os t erf ami l i esandhous i ngar r angement ss i nceage1 5whenhermot herdi ed.“ Iwantt oknowwhat ’ s goi ngt ohappeni nt henex tyear . ” Gonz al ez ,whol i v esi nDal yCi t y,i samongmor et han7 , 000 youngpeopl eages1 8t o21i nCal i f or ni a’ sf os t ercar es ys t em.

Theyei t herl i v ei nt r ans i t i onal hous i ngorr ecei v eappr ox i mat el y $1 , 000amont hf r om t hegov er nmentt ohel ppayf orl i v i ng ex pens es .Mos ts ubs i di z et hi swi t hacademi cs chol ar s hi psand par t t i mej obs .Now,t hes eyoungpeopl e,andot her swho r ecent l yagedoutoff os t ercar e,ar es t r uggl i ngundert hewei ght oft hepandemi candi t seconomi cf al l out .Mos thav enof ami l yt o r el yonandar eathi ghr i s kofl os i ngempl oyments i ncet heyt end t owor kent r yl ev el j obsi nt hes er v i ces ect or .

I nApr i l ,Gov .Gav i nNews om i s s uedanex ecut i v eor dert hat al l owsyoungpeopl ei nf os t ercar ewhoar et ur ni ng21t or emai n i nt hes ys t em t hr oughJune30.Buts omeadv ocat esand l egi s l at or swor r yt hatwon’ tbel ongenoughandwantt he gov er nort ocont i nueal l owi ngyoungadul t sont hebr i nkofagi ng outt os t ayi nf os t ercar eunt i l t hepandemi ci sov er .

Meet i ngt heneedsoff os t eryout hi sal s oar aci al j us t i cei s s ue.A di s pr opor t i onat eper cent ageoff os t eryout har eBl ackorNat i v e Amer i can,l ar gel yduet os t r uct ur al i nequal i t yandr aci s m.Bl ack andNat i v echi l dr enar emor et hant hr eet i mesasl i k el yaswhi t e andL at i nxchi l dr ent obei nf os t ercar ei nCal i f or ni a.

Mons eGonz al ez ,1 8,ofDal yCi t y,hasbeeni n f os t ercar es i ncehers ophomor eyearofhi gh s chool .Herpl anst omov ei nt os t udenthous i ngat UCSant aBar bar at hi ss ummergotputonhol d becaus eoft hecor onav i r uspandemi c . ( Phot obyFer nandaXi t l al i Gar ci a)

Al t houghf os t ercar ebenefit sf oryoungadul t sar er el at i v el y l i mi t edcompar edt ot her angeofs uppor tf ami l i esof t eno er , t heys t i l l hel pcov erbas i cneeds ,asi nGonz al ez ’ scas e,s ai dAmy L eml ey,ex ecut i v edi r ect orofJohnBur t onAdv ocat esf orY out h, anor gani z at i ont hatpr ov i dest echni cal as s i s t ancet oagenci es t hatwor kwi t hyoungadul t si nf os t ercar e.

“ I fatl eas tt hei rmi ni mum needscanbecov er ed,maybet heycank eepal egupi nhi ghereducat i on,maybe t heycanhol donunt i l t heeconomyr et ur ns , ”L eml eys ai d. “ Al l t heoddsar eal r eadys t ack edagai ns tt hem t ogr aduat ef r om hi ghs chool andhi ghereducat i on,andyet t hey’ r edoi ngi t .Weneedt ok eept hat( agi ngout )paus ebut t onhi t . ”

‘ Fear f ulofBei ngont heSt r eet s ’ St at eSen.Ji m Beal l ,DSanJos e,haspr opos edl egi s l at i ont hatwoul dex t endt hemor at or i um onagi ngout unt i l s i xmont hsaf t erCal i f or ni ao ci al l yl i f t si t ss t at eofemer gency.Themov ewoul dcos tanes t i mat ed$32 mi l l i oni nt heupcomi ngfis cal year— anamountadv ocat ess aypal esi ncompar i s ont ot hepot ent i al l ongt er m cos ti ft hous andsofyoungpeopl el os ehous i ngandf or f ei teducat i onal oppor t uni t i esduet ot he pandemi c .I twoul dal s opr ev entt hes eyoungpeopl e,whohav eal r eadys ur v i v edabus eandnegl ect ,f r om s u er i ngev enmor et r auma,L eml eys ai d.

Beal l hasur gedt hegov er nort oex t endt hemor at or i um onagi ngoutaspar toft hes t at ebudget ,r at hert han wai tf ort hel egi s l at ur et opas shi sbi l l . “ Thi spandemi ct hr eat enst oupendt hel i v esofmanyyout hi n( ex t endedf os t ercar e ) , ”Beal l wr ot ei nal et t ert o News om.“ Wear ehear i ngdi r ect l yf r om f os t eryout hwhoar ef ear f ul ofbei ngont hes t r eet satt heendof( t he ) mont h. ” Thegov er nor ’ so cedi dnotr es pondt oar eques tf orcomment .

Thepr ecar i ouss i t uat i onf aci ngyoungadul t si nf os t ercar e i st aki ngat ol l onmanyas pect soft hei rl i v es .I nas ur v eyof 34t r ans i t i onal hous i ngpr ov i der sf oryoungpeopl ei nt he f os t ers ys t em i nCal i f or ni a,t hr eequar t er ss ai dyout hi n t hei rcar ehads t oppedpar t i ci pat i ngi nhi ghs chool or col l egecl as s esasoft heendofApr i l ,andamaj or i t y needededucat i onal s uppor tf oronl i nel ear ni ng,s uchasa l apt op,i nt er netconnect i onort ut or i ng.Anot hert hr ee quar t er sr epor t edt hatyoungadul t si nt hei rhous i ng f aci l i t i eshadbeenl ai do orhadt hei rhour ss ev er el y r educed,andabouthal fknewofr es i dent swi t honl yaweek orl es sofmoneyav ai l abl e.

Hous i ngi ns ecur i t ywasanot herpr obl em.Manypr ov i der s hadt ak eni nyoungpeopl et hatwer ehomel es sori ndanger ofl os i nghous i ngduet oCOVI D1 9 .Andmor et han80 per centr epor t edani ncr eas ei nment al heal t hi s s uess uch asdepr es s i onandanx i et yamongt heyoungadul t st hey s er v ed. “ Thenor mat i v et hi ngt ododur i ngt hi spandemi ci sf or youngadul t st omov ebackwi t ht hei rf ami l yofor i gi n, ”s ai d L eml ey.“ Fort hes eyoungpeopl e,t hr oughabs ol ut el yno f aul toft hei rown,t hati s n’ tpos s i bl e. ” For merf os t eryout hDi anaPham,26,cel ebr at esher gr aduat i onf r om SanJos eSt at eUni v er s i t yi nMay.She compl et edherdegr eeonl i neaf t ert hes chool hal t ed onl i necl as s esduet ot hecor onav i r uspandemi c . ( Phot obyAl ex anderT r i nh)

Ev enbef or eCOVI D1 9 ,youngpeopl ei nf os t ercar eand t r ans i t i oni ngoutoft hes ys t em f aceds i gni ficantdi cul t i es .

Of t enbecaus eoft r aumaex per i encedbef or eandaf t er ent er i ngf os t ercar e,t heywer eathei ght enedr i s kf or dr oppi ngoutofs chool ,becomi nghomel es sandbei ng

Emmer al dEv ans ,22,as t udentatSacr ament oSt at eUni v er s i t y,wentt hr oughyear soft her apyaf t erent er i ng f os t ercar eatage5.Thi shel pedherov er comedepr es s i onandpos t t r aumat i cs t r es sdi s or dert hats he s u er edbecaus eofabus es heex per i encedasachi l d.Butwhent heuni v er s i t ycl os edbecaus eofCOVI D1 9 andal l herr oommat eswenthomet ot hei rf ami l i es ,Ev anss t ar t edf eel i ngdepr es s edagai n.Suddenl y,s hewas al one,wi t hnot hi ngt odi s t r actherf r om negat i v et hought s .Shehadt or emi ndher s el fofcopi ngt echni ques s he ’ dl ear nedasachi l d,s uchasj our nal i ng,pr ayer ,andr eachi ngoutt os uppor t i v eadul t ss uchasherpas t or andapr ev i ouscouns el or .

“ Whenyouhav enot hi ngt odoandyou’ r ebyyour s el f ,youhav et odeal wi t ht heemot i onst hatyou’ v ehad bot t l edup, ”s hes ai d.“ I ’ v ecaughtmys el fgoi ngbackdown,findi ngmys el fal i t t l el owert hanInor mal l ywoul d be. ”

LetThem Know They’ r eNotAl one Pi v ot al ,anonpr ofiteducat i onal s er v i cespr ov i derf ormor et han500cur r entandf or merf os t eryout hi nt he Si l i conVal l ey,hasbeent r yi ngt oaddr es st hei s ol at i onandot herpandemi cr el at edpr obl emst hatyoung adul t sl i k eEv ansar ef aci ng.CEO El i s eCut i ni s ai dcoacheswi t ht heor gani z at i onhav ebeenr eachi ngoutt o t heyoungpeopl et heys er v et hr ought ex tmes s ages ,phonecal l sandonl i nemes s agest ofindouti ft heyneed hel pandt ol ett hem knowt hey’ r enotal one.

Manyyoungpeopl et heyt al kt oar edi s t r es s ed,Cut i ni s ai d.Onehi ghs chool s eni orl os tapar t t i mej oband wasov er comewi t hanx i et ybecaus es hecoul dn’ tpayherr entandbuygr ocer i es ,hercoachf ound.Anot heron t hecus pofcompl et i ngcommuni t ycol l egecont r act edCOVI D1 9andmov edi nt ohercarbecaus es hehad nowher eel s et oquar ant i ne.Manyot her shadl os tj obsorhous i ng,coul dn’ tpayr entandbuyf ood,orl ack eda comput er ,cel l phonepl anori nt er netf oronl i nel ear ni ng.Pi v ot al qui ckl yl aunchedacampai gnt or ai s e emer gencyf undst ohel pt hes t udent s . “ Theneedscont i nuet ogr ow, ”Cut i ni s ai d.

Di anaPham,26,wasgr at ef ul whenPi v ot al s t epped i nt ohel phers ecur eal apt opandi nt er netacces s whenhercl as s ess wi t chedonl i neweek sbef or es he wasduet ogr aduat ef r om SanJos eSt at e Uni v er s i t y.Pham hadbeens har i ngal apt opwi t h herboyf r i endanddi dn’ thav er el i abl ei nt er neti nt he homes hel i v esi nwi t hhi m,hert wochi l dr en,andhi s ex t endedf ami l y.

Butherbi gges tchal l engeswer eov er comi ngher doubt saboutwhet hers hecoul ds t i l l fini s hher degr eeami dt hepandemi c ,andt r yi ngt oj uggl eher final pr oj ect swhi l ecar i ngf ort woyoungchi l dr enat home.Herl i f ehadbeenf ul l ofchal l enges— ent er i ngf os t ercar eatage9 ,get t i ngpr egnantat1 7 andnotcompl et i ngt r adi t i onal hi ghs chool . “ I tputmei nanegat i v eheads pace.Iwasj us t t hi nki ngaboutev er yt hi ngt hathappenedt omei n t hepas t , ”Pham s ai d.“ Idi dn’ tt hi nkIwasgoi ngt o gr aduat e. ” Thankf ul l y,wi t hhercoach’ sencour agement ,Pham s t ucki tout .Shegr aduat edi nMaywi t hamaj ori n s oci ol ogy.Herf r i endshel dacer emonyf orher out s i deherhous e,compl et ewi t hcer t i ficat e,cap andgown.

Gonz al ez ,meanwhi l e,i ss t ayi ngi nt heBayAr eaf or t hef or es eeabl ef ut ur e,t aki ngi nt r oduct or ycl as s es atUCSBonl i ne,wher es hepl anst ot r ans f eronce oncampuscl as s esr es ume.Shehass of ark epther j obandbeenabl et opayf ort hebedr oom s her ent s i nas har edhous e.Shet r i esnott ot hi nkt oof ar ahead.Abov eal l ,s hewant st ocompl et eaf our year degr ee,agoal hermot heral wayss uppor t ed.

Di anaPham gi v esherdaught er ,Ol i v i a,ahi ghfiv eaf t er cel ebr at i nghergr aduat i onf r om SanJos eSt at eUni v er s i t ywi t h f r i endsout s i deherhomei nSanJos e.( Phot obyAl ex anderT r i nh)

“ Thatwashermai nmes s ageatal l t i mes , ”Gonz al ezs ai d.“ ‘ Keepgoi ngt os chool ,don’ tgi v eup. ' ”