Foster youth have long endured myriad challenges reaching their postsecondary educational goals. While nearly 88 percent of foster youth indicate a desire to attend college, more than half report not receiving enough assistance with college planning. To address this concern and the low rate of college completion, the California legislature adopted Senate Bill 12 (SB 12), which went into effect on January 1, 2018. SB 12 requires child welfare and juvenile probation agencies to indicate in the case plans of all foster youth ages 16 and older at least one designated support person who will assist them with college and financial aid applications.

Join John Burton Advocates for Youth (JBAY) on Wednesday, March 30^th from 1:00 pm—2:30 pm for a webinar to explore best practices for implementing SB 12 requirements and increasing foster youth postsecondary success. The webinar corresponds with the release of JBAY’s new publication “Teaming for College Success: Supporting Foster Youth with Postsecondary Matriculation,” that details strategies piloted by child welfare and probation agencies across California. Webinar panelists will include representatives from the County of Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Services and Santa Clara County Department of Family and Children’s Services, and a young adult with lived experience in foster care.

The webinar will feature new resources, including guidance and checklists for education-focused Child and Family Team (CFTs) meetings and training curricula for social workers, probation officers, and caregivers on supporting foster youths’ college and career aspirations.