SF4360

Purpose

• Create an Extended Foster Care Services Grant Program to provide financial support and case management to eligible transition-age youth (ages 21 to 27) who were in Minnesota foster care beginning at age 14 or older. The goal is to help these youth complete education, gain employment, secure stable housing, and improve overall well-being.

Key Provisions

• Establishment and administration
  • The commissioner of children, youth, and families must establish the extended foster care services grant program.
  • Grantees are community-based providers that must meet standards set by the commissioner, including nondiscrimination policies and geographic access (even outside the seven-county metropolitan area).
  • Grantees must meet education, employment, housing stability, and youth satisfaction performance metrics and training standards.
• Youth eligibility
  • Eligible youth are those who were in Minnesota foster care at age 14 or older, are currently at least 21 and under 27, and are not in a current Title IV-E foster placement.
  • Additional eligibility criteria include: completing secondary education or a program leading to an equivalent credential; enrolled in postsecondary or vocational education; participating in programs to promote or remove barriers to employment; employed at least 80 hours per month; receiving treatment for mental health or substance use disorder; or facing documented barriers such as a medical condition, disability, pregnancy, parenting, or domestic violence.
  • Youth must maintain monthly contact with their case manager.
  • Eligibility may apply whether the youth lives with others or lives independently.
• Services provided
  • Monthly stipends to cover basic living expenses and education costs, adjusted for geographic cost of living and inflation; stipends begin to taper after age 25 according to a schedule set by the commissioner.
  • Case management with monthly financial wellness check-ins.
  • Access to budgeting and employment readiness training to build financial literacy.
  • Help establishing a savings account.
  • Housing navigation services to assist in finding stable housing.
  • Transition planning with a comprehensive plan and stepdown preparation starting at age 24, plus help coordinating adult services.
• Reporting and accountability
  • The commissioner must track and report outcomes disaggregated by protected classes and geography to monitor disparities.
  • Beginning February 1, 2029, grantees must annually report: number of youth served, amount spent on stipends, outcomes disaggregated by protected classes and geography, and other relevant information determined by the grantee.
  • Beginning July 1, 2029, the commissioner must provide an annual report to the chairs and ranking minority members of the relevant legislative committees detailing program outcomes, costs, and equity determinations.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• Creates a new Extended Foster Care Services Grant Program to extend formal support for foster youth beyond age 18 up to age 27.
• Establishes new eligibility criteria for youth and new performance and training standards for grantees.
• Introduces a structured stipend system with geographic cost adjustments and a taper after age 25.
• Adds mandatory annual reporting on program outcomes, costs, and equity, including disaggregation by protected characteristics and geography.

Relevant Terms extended foster care services grant program; transition-age youth; community-based provider; nondiscrimination; geographic access; seven-county metropolitan area; education metrics; employment metrics; housing stability; youth satisfaction; stipends; cost of living adjustment; tapering stipend; monthly case management; financial wellness check-ins; budgeting training; savings account; housing navigation; transition planning; stepdown preparation; monthly contact with case manager; Title IV-E foster placement; disaggregated reporting; protected classes; equity determinations.