User:Jrose88/sandbox: Difference between revisions
No edit summary |
No edit summary |
||
| Line 19: | Line 19: | ||
* Preventative health; such as smoking cessation, nutrition, and pregnancy prevention |
* Preventative health; such as smoking cessation, nutrition, and pregnancy prevention |
||
Program funding |
Program funding is used to provide support services to youth both before and after aging out of foster care. Funding supports financial, housing, counseling, employment, educational, and other supportive programs for transitioning youth.<ref name="fcact"/> Additional funding promotes interactions with mentors and dedicated adults to provide personal and emotional support to foster youth.<ref name="fcact"/> |
||
The |
The Act also increases health care options for youth aging out of foster care by making changes to the [[Medicaid]] law permitting states to provide Medicaid coverage to youth upon aging out of foster care, until they turn 21.<ref name="bulletin"/> Provisions also allow for former foster youth who are considered low income to be provided with Medicaid coverage. |
||
Another provision of the bill is to increase funding for adoption incentive payments,<ref name="bulletin"/> which are bonuses to States for increasing the number of children adopted from public foster care, as opposed to youth remaining in foster care. Additional funding for adoption incentive payments enables States to receive the full amount of the of earned bonuses due to increasing adoption rates.<ref name="statement">{{cite web| url=http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/WCPD-1999-11-29/pdf/WCPD-1999-11-29-Pg2422.pdf | title=Statement on Congressional Action on the "Foster Care Independence Act of 1999" | publisher=Administration on William J. Clinton, 1990 | date=1999-11-20 | accessdate=2012-04-15}}</ref> |
|||
Revision as of 21:13, 14 April 2012
The Foster Care Independence Act of 1999 (Pub. L. 106–169 (text) (PDF), 113 Stat. 1882, enacted December 14, 1999) was signed into law by President Bill Clinton on December 14, 1999.[1] Upon signing the bill into law, President Clinton stated, "Hillary and I are very pleased that the Congress today approved H.R. 3443, "Foster Care Independence Act of 1999." This legislation helps ensure that young people in foster care get the tools they need to make the most of their lives. It builds on proposals in my budget to empower those leaving foster care by providing them access to health care, better educational opportunities, training, housing assistance, counseling, and other support and services. We cannot let these young people walk their tough road alone."[2]
Overview of the Foster Care Independence Act of 1999
General
The Foster Care Independence Act of 1999 includes provisions relating to foster care and the OASDI and SSI programs. [3][4] The Act also assists World War II veterans by providing special cash benefits. Title II of the bill includes the Foster Care Provisions and Title I of the bill includes the OASDI and SSI provisions. [3][4]
Foster Care Provisions
The purpose of the Foster Care Independence Act is to provide States with flexible funding that will enable children likely to "age out" of foster care at age 18 to obtain employment, continue their education, accept personal responsibility, and prepare for the transition from adolescence to adulthood. The program aims to help foster youth transition out of foster care by encouraging self-sufficiency through programs that include: [3]
- Assistance obtaining a high school diploma
- Career exploration
- Vocational training
- Job placement and retention
- Budgeting and financial management skills
- Training in activities of daily living
- Substance abuse prevention
- Preventative health; such as smoking cessation, nutrition, and pregnancy prevention
Program funding is used to provide support services to youth both before and after aging out of foster care. Funding supports financial, housing, counseling, employment, educational, and other supportive programs for transitioning youth.[3] Additional funding promotes interactions with mentors and dedicated adults to provide personal and emotional support to foster youth.[3]
The Act also increases health care options for youth aging out of foster care by making changes to the Medicaid law permitting states to provide Medicaid coverage to youth upon aging out of foster care, until they turn 21.[4] Provisions also allow for former foster youth who are considered low income to be provided with Medicaid coverage.
Another provision of the bill is to increase funding for adoption incentive payments,[4] which are bonuses to States for increasing the number of children adopted from public foster care, as opposed to youth remaining in foster care. Additional funding for adoption incentive payments enables States to receive the full amount of the of earned bonuses due to increasing adoption rates.[2]
Use of Funds
OASDI and SSI Provisions
History
The Act supports provision of health insurance to former foster children, up to the age of 21, by way of states using Medicaid funds.[1] It permits such youths to have assets up to $10,000 without compromising their assistance.[1] It expands funds for these 18-to-21-year-olds to benefit from Independent living programs from $70 million to $140 million,[1][5] and broadens what these monies can be applied to.[1]
First Lady of the United States Hillary Rodham Clinton was instrumental in passage of the bill, first holding on youth conference on the issues involved and then lobbying Congress in support of legislation.[5] It followed in the wake of her support for the earlier Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997, which made it easier to adopt foster children;[6] the Foster Care Independence Act was intended to ease the transition into adulthood of foster children who did not get adopted.[6]
Implementation
References
- ^ a b c d e "President Clinton Signs H.R. 3443, The Foster Care Independence Act of 1999". Social Security Administration. 1999-12-17. Retrieved 2008-03-15. Cite error: The named reference "apa" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ a b "Statement on Congressional Action on the "Foster Care Independence Act of 1999"" (PDF). Administration on William J. Clinton, 1990. 1999-11-20. Retrieved 2012-04-15.
- ^ a b c d e "United States Public Laws The Foster Care Independence Act of 1999" (PDF). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Retrieved 2012-04-15.
- ^ a b c d Social Security Bulletin. 62 (4). 1999.
{{cite journal}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help); Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ a b Somini Sengupta (2000-10-29). "Campaigns Soft-Pedal On Children and the Poor". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-03-15.
{{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ a b "First Lady Biography: Hillary Clinton". National First Ladies' Library. Retrieved 2006-08-22.
External links
- Pub. L. 106–169 (text) (PDF), Foster Care Independence Act at Library of Congress
- Foster Care Independence Act at APA
 | This United States federal legislation article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |