Martha Matthews

Despite a long history of supporting foster youth’s academic success, California failed to comply with a federal deadline requiring all states to submit plans on how to pay for those students’ transportation to school.

The number of children and youth in foster care has risen for the third consecutive year, according to recently released federal data. Reading below the top line, though, Youth Services Insider sees one figure that suggests that we could see a course correction soon.

With a deadline looming later this month, the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is finalizing preparations to hire up to 95 new counselors and introduce new educational benchmarks for foster youth in the school district with its first allotment of targeted funds from California’s Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) legislation.

A new bill that child advocacy groups are hoping will curb arrests of foster youth in group homes will likely be introduced today in the State Senate. The new legislation in its current form will trigger an investigation into group homes that call the police frequently on the criminal conduct of foster youth, limit out-of-pocket restitution demanded of foster youth and reduce time spent in juvenile detention centers.