SACRAMENTO – This week, a group of bills authored by Assemblymember Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles) that addresses the issues in the state’s Foster Care System passed through the Assembly Human Services Committee.

The bills include:

• AB1979 – will help recruit volunteer mentors for foster youth by waiving the fees for background checks  
• AB1983 – will improve problems that foster care youth face by developing and convening a work group made up of foster youth and stakeholders to make recommendations related to foster youth services
• AB2194 – will ensure that all foster care youth will receive independent living services as they transition into adulthood including former foster care youth who have aged out of the system and those who have been adopted
• AB 2195 – will help keep foster youth with relatives or extended family members during emergency circumstances and require health and safety checks for placement; requires informational brochures and a Web site to inform relative caregivers about services and programs   
• AB2216 – will help ensure the effective management and accountability of foster care agencies by developing a new leadership structure
• AB2649 – will expand the number of counties to provide KSSP services for relative caregivers 

“As the State of California, we are the parent for these children” states Assemblymember Bass. “This group of bills seeks to improve a Foster Care system and make the State a better parent as well as help foster youth become productive citizens."

Assemblymember Bass is the Chair of the Select Committee on Foster Care. Under her leadership, she has obtained bi-partisan participation on the Foster Care Legislative Packet which addresses emancipation, health, education, relative/kinship issues, social worker workload, court issues, state oversight, and caregiver support. Bass authored nine out of the 24 bills.