The California Fostering Connections to Success Act is composed of five state bills (select a bill to learn more):

When California passed Assembly Bill 12, the California Fostering connections to Success Act, it allowed our state to opt into several provisions of the Federal Fostering connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008. Learn more about the federal bill here.

What did the California Fostering Connections to Success Act do?

Converted California's Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program (Kin-GAP) into a federally subsidized program. By doing so, the federal government now pays a 50% share of cost for federally-eligible participants, saving the state tens of millions of dollars of state general funds (NOTE: if the youth is not federally-eligible, there is also a new state-only Kin-GAP program that mirrors the new federal Kin-GAP program).

Extended foster care benefits (also known as a benefits) for eligible youth up until the age of 21.

Extended Kin-GAP assistance or Adoptions Assistance Program (AAP) to eligible youth up until age 21, provided the Kin-GAP payments began or the initial AAP agreement was signed when the youth was age 16 or older.

Extended CalWORKs benefits to eligible foster youth up until the age of 21 when the foster youth is placed with an approved relative and is not eligible for federal AFDC-FC benefits.

Extended foster care benefits up until the age of 21 to youth living with a nonrelated legal guardian (NRLG) when the guardianship was created by the juvenile court (regardless of the age of the youth when guardianship was ordered).