First Star

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) finalized a budget deal with the state legislature on Thursday, securing several important child welfare investments and opening up $1 billion in aid for the state’s working poor.

The number of college assistance programs for current and former foster youth is growing, but there are still major gaps in helping students access them, according to a national survey of state-run colleges.

Today, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a pilot program to ensure that students in foster care have transportation to their so-called “school of origin.” The stopgap measure was designed to bring the county’s 81 school districts into compliance with a federal education law aimed at promoting the educational stability of children in foster care.

A pair of California-based child advocacy groups is calling for drastic changes to the way that state compliance with federal child welfare laws is monitored, and the way that states are penalized for compliance failure.

Melanie Buttarazzi, daughter of Robert Michaels, is an extraordinary professional dancer who danced for artists such as J.Lo, Pit Bull, NeYo, and Pharrell Williams. In August 2013, Buttarazzi embarked on an idea to document how dance can have a life-changing impact of foster youth and their self-expression.