Extended Foster Care (EFC) exists to help young people who are dependents of the state when they turn 18. However, many young people in foster care are not receiving the support they need while in EFC, with COVID-19 exacerbating struggles. By expanding EFC eligibility requirements and available resources, Washington could better support its young people as they enter adulthood.

Solution: Make EFC more accessible and as close to an "opt-out" system as possible, increase monthly payments, and extend eligibility through age 26.

Champion: Senator Wilson

Juvenile records have significant consequences for young people and can cause youth difficulties as young adults. BIPOC youth face higher rates of referrals to court and adjudications for criminal offenses than their white counterparts, which further impacts their adult life. Current record sealing laws do not adequately protect youth from lifelong consequences.

Solution: Make juvenile records equally as confidential as dependency records, increase accessibility, and create accountability measures for those who illegally share sealed records.

Champion: Senator Frame

Young people in Washington state who are in foster care need access to financial literacy skills and a bank account at a young age, to help them be successful when they leave care. Without these resources, they can become trapped in a cycle of poverty.

 Student to Adulthood Readiness Training, or START, will be a required course for high school graduation. Students will learn skills that prepare them for adulthood including financial literacy, professional development, basic mechanics, cooking skills, how to access resources in the area, and more. Doing this will prepare youth for success in adulthood, while simultaneously preventing homelessness in youth. 

Youth under 18 cannot consent to their own shelter. In cases where youth cannot return home to a safe and supportive environment and their parents do not give consent or cannot be located, youth may end up experiencing homelessness. 

This year, DCYF has made a budget request for $4.5 million to assist in statewide implementation of MOCKINGBIRD FAMILY ™.