More on Budget Cuts to Foster Care Services

The state budget cuts that eliminated the emancipated youth stipend also reduced funding for other programs that support foster youth, and counties around the Bay Area are still reeling. My story took me to Contra Costa County, but I spoke to administrators from other counties about the impact of these cuts.

“It’s bigger than a little cut you put a Band-Aid on,” said Randy Morris. He’s the division director for the Alameda County Department of Children and Family Services. He has watched his budget for emancipated youth stipends decline over the past five years. It peaked at $280,000, sunk to $240,000, and “now just blue line, gone.” Alameda County used these stipends to pay for a range of things for former foster youth, including moving expenses. Morris said he hoped other sources of funding could be identified, but for now, “we’re very, very concerned.”

During my reporting, I kept hearing that Sacramento had put its entire ILP program on hold. ILP stands for Independent Living Program, which helps foster youth and former foster youth from ages 16 to 21 learn skills to prepare them for independence. After a phone call to Child Welfare Services of Sacramento County, I learned that it was only a rumor. “It was pretty dicey for a while - we took a pretty big cut from the budget this year,” said spokeswoman Laurie Slothower.

Back in Contra Costa County, Program Coordinator Don Graves recently got the go ahead to do some fundraising. He’s done this before, but only for emergency funding. “Now it seems like the money we raise is going to be driving the services,” he said.

These are hard times, but the cuts to social services for foster youth could have devastating effects and could ultimately end up costing the state of California more than they saved.