{"content":[{"text":"The Chronicle of Social Change","bbox":{"left":0.117647,"top":0.095814,"width":0.30991799999999997,"height":0.024446999999999997}},{"text":"Bill to Extend Foster Care Benefits for Probation Youth Clears \n Calif. Senate Committee \n By Guest Writer, April 15, 2015 \n By: Sawsan Morrar","bbox":{"left":0.117647,"top":0.152595,"width":0.703511,"height":0.10082899999999997}},{"text":"The California Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously approved a bill to widen the door on \n extended foster care to probation-involved youth yesterday.","bbox":{"left":0.117647,"top":0.267826,"width":0.698321,"height":0.03447899999999998}},{"text":"Senate Bill 12, introduced by Senator Jim Beall (D-San Jose) would make sure foster youth who were in a \n locked facility on their 18th birthday and larger numbers of youth who are involved with the probation \n system can access foster care benefits from age 18 to 21. Some youth who were in correctional facilities \n or on probation have historically been locked out of extended foster care benefits that could help them \n transition into adulthood.","bbox":{"left":0.117647,"top":0.31578,"width":0.7643230000000001,"height":0.08235700000000001}},{"text":"“This will simply give them the right to have these benefits,” Beall said. “These youth slipped through the \n cracks. AB 12 inadvertently left the most vulnerable youth out, so we are fixing this with SB 12 and \n ensuring that no foster youth is left behind.”","bbox":{"left":0.117647,"top":0.409795,"width":0.7633019999999999,"height":0.05046299999999998}},{"text":"Beall and other bill supporters grew concerned that without a revision, the current law will continue to \n exclude foster youth from access to money and housing. AB 12 provides transition age foster youth with \n over $800 a month and housing—resources that they need as they leave foster care for the real world.","bbox":{"left":0.117647,"top":0.471916,"width":0.752264,"height":0.05046399999999995}},{"text":"Cat McCulloch of Youth Law Center, one of the authors of SB 12, attended the hearing in support of the \n bill.","bbox":{"left":0.117647,"top":0.534038,"width":0.752245,"height":0.03447900000000004}},{"text":"“This bill will be the key to adult life,” she said. “This is the population of youth that California has \n agreed to parent. Our role as a parent continues as they transition to adulthood.”","bbox":{"left":0.117647,"top":0.580175,"width":0.716358,"height":0.03447900000000004}},{"text":"The bill’s passing was a victory for former foster youth Joseph Bakhit, 19, who attended the hearing on \n behalf of his brother.","bbox":{"left":0.117645,"top":0.626386,"width":0.743334,"height":0.03440299999999996}},{"text":"Joseph Bakhit in Sacramento for the April 14 hearing of SB 12. Photo credit: Sawsan Morrar.","bbox":{"left":0.117647,"top":0.887511,"width":0.612231,"height":0.01687700000000003}}],"images_bbox":[{"left":0.117647,"top":0.674318,"width":0.241471,"height":0.20947}],"images_bbox_not_text_overlap":[{"left":0.117647,"top":0.674318,"width":0.241471,"height":0.20947}]}