AB 1967 Requires More Timely Responses for Youth Seeking Help and Aligns California Foster Care Law with Federal Standards
SACRAMENTO, CA – Democratic Caucus Chair and Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur's (D-Hollywood) AB 1967, legislation to strengthen protections for vulnerable youth seeking assistance from California's child welfare system, has passed the California State Senate and received final concurrence in the Assembly and now heads to the Governor's desk. Sponsored by the Alliance for Children's Rights and California Coalition for Youth, AB 1967 establishes safeguards to ensure that requests for intervention from vulnerable older youth receive timely and responsive attention from child welfare agencies and aligns state law with federal standards related to assistance payments continuing if it is determined that the youth is no longer receiving any support from their adoptive parents or relative guardians.
"Young people who turn to our child welfare system for help are often facing incredibly difficult and unstable circumstances, and they deserve to know that someone will respond when they ask for help," said Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur. "That includes Black, Native American, and LGBTQ+ youth, who disproportionately experience homelessness and can face rejection, housing instability, and other barriers to safety and stability. AB 1967 strengthens our safety net by helping ensure vulnerable youth who seek protection receive a timely response and by bringing California law into alignment with federal standards. I'm grateful to our sponsors and colleagues for helping us get this important legislation to the Governor's desk."
Youth who independently seek assistance from the child welfare system can face inconsistent or delayed responses from county agencies. A recent audit of a county Department of Children and Family Services found significant delays in investigations of reported abuse and neglect, as well as delays in providing timely health services to foster youth. For young people experiencing homelessness, fleeing unsafe living situations, or otherwise without stable support, these delays can prolong instability and expose them to further harm.
Current law does not clearly require child welfare agencies to promptly evaluate or act on a youth's direct request for protection, potentially leaving vulnerable young people without a reliable pathway to safety or care. AB 1967 addresses this gap by establishing safeguards so that requests for intervention from vulnerable older youth receive timely and responsive attention from Child Protective Services.
The bill also aligns California law with federal standards regarding the definition of providing support for older youth who have had a failed adoption or guardianship and need to re-enter Extended Foster Care and updates relevant sections of state law by replacing binary language with gender-neutral language.
"No one can fully invest in their future when they are struggling to secure a safe place to sleep. Housing instability and homelessness undermine educational achievement, limit employment opportunities, and make self-sufficiency far more difficult to attain, trapping many individuals in a cycle of hardship that stable housing can help break," said Kristin Power, Vice President, Policy and Advocacy, Alliance for Children's Rights. "Assemblymember Zbur's AB 1967 helps vulnerable young people get timely assistance when they are unsafe, homeless, or unsupported. It improves long-standing, existing processes and ensures that courts and child welfare agencies respond more quickly when a young person asks for help through a self-petition and helps remove barriers for transition age youth receiving timely support when they are no longer receiving support from their adoptive parent or relative guardian."
"Housing instability and homelessness significantly hinders pursuit of higher education, meaningful employment, and self-sufficiency," said Jevon Wilkes, Executive Director for the California Coalition for Youth. "Ensuring a young person's safety through timely entry into foster care and reentry into extended foster care are essential — unaccompanied and former foster youth often need immediate support with housing, transportation, and food. Without swift access to these services, they face significantly higher risks of homelessness and exploitation and of losing eligibility for critical programs designed to help them transition successfully into adulthood." The California Coalition for Youth commends Assemblymember Zbur for his work championing the rights of transition age youth."
AB 1967 now goes to Governor Newsom for consideration.
Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur serves as the Democratic Caucus Chair for the California State Assembly and represents the 51st Assembly District, which includes Universal City, Hollywood, Hancock Park, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Westwood, West Los Angeles, Santa Monica, and other portions of Los Angeles.
CONTACT: Vienna Montague, (916) 319-2051, Vienna.Montague@asm.ca.gov