This ACL implements AB 1633, which called for guidelines and best practices to get Title II and SSI benefits for disabled foster children, especially those about to age off of Foster Care. Though “not mandatory,” the ACL discusses the “fiscal and programmatic” advantages of foster care youth having income in place when losing foster care. The ACL includes helpful statements like, “disabled youth emancipating .. without …benefits are especially vulnerable to negative outcomes….” The ACL presents suggestions on how to assess and initiate applications, as well as attaching disability definitions and assessment forms. The letter also mentions a persnickety little problem: federal foster care policy “may” prohibit application for SSI until one month prior to terminating foster care (?), but it takes “several months” to qualify (?) which “may” leave a gap. [Download]
Summaries of select CalWORKs, CalFresh, Health and Housing Regulations