HB 1429/SB 5082: Housing Assistance for Youth in Extended Foster Care
In 2024, the legislature found that appropriately 13% of young people in the Extended Foster Care program (EFC) – state dependent youth – were homeless. The state has a moral and constitutional obligation to ensure that all young people in its care and custody are, at minimum, housed. This legislation creates a state-funded housing voucher program modeled after the federal Foster Youth to Independence (FYI) program. It is designed specifically for youth in Extended Foster Care (EFC) who are experiencing homelessness. Currently, federal restrictions prevent young adults from accessing both EFC supports and FYI housing vouchers simultaneously. By establishing a state-funded alternative, Washington will fulfill its obligation to ensure housing stability for young people in state care.
HB 1391/SB 5426 - Expansion of Juvenile Diversion Statewide
Diversion is a cost-effective alternative to the traditional criminal legal system. Research demonstrates that youth who are diverted have lower likelihoods for future arrests, higher rates of school completion and college enrollment, and earn higher incomes in adulthood. Yet despite its clear success, diversion is used far less than evidence shows would be optimal. This is especially true for youth of color, who are denied opportunities for diversion far more often than their white peers because of implicit bias directed against them and their families, or because of unequal justice by geography. HB 1391/SB 5426 would increase funding to improve access, diversity, and quality of diversion programs statewide. Counties would leverage local knowledge and expertise and partner with community-based organizations to foster programs that meet the needs of the youth in their communities. HB 1391/ SB 5426 would also standardized definitions relating to diversion across all counties, further ensuring accurate data tracking and reporting.
Budget Advocacy: Immigration Relief for Youth in DCYF care
With immigrants’ rights regressing at the federal level, Washington must increase protections at the state level. Immigrant youth, especially those in the state’s care, may be eligible for special visas that could prevent deportation and put them on a pathway to United States citizenship. Over the last two years. LCYC has partnered with Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP) and Kids In Need of Defense (KIND) to lead administrative advocacy to ensure that youth in the care of The Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) are screened for eligibility and are connected with legal services to pursue Special Immigrant Juvenile Classification. Despite our efforts, screenings and referrals for immigration legal services have not yet happened. We urge the DCYF to prioritize these screens and referrals, and we urge the Legislature to fund these critical legal services to ensure immigration relief is not delayed.
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