HB 2335 adds two additional groups of youth aging out of foster care to participate in the extended foster care program (up to 21 years of age). The two groups, youth with a documented medical condition and youth engaged in employment for eighty hours or more per month, are the remaining two groups eligible for extended foster care per federal legislation passed in 2008 (previous legislation added the other 3 groups). This bill provides a definition for “medical condition” as a short-term or long-term physical or mental health condition as verified and documented by any licensed health care provider (regulated by a disciplining authority). HB 2335 would go into effect March 1, 2015.
The final bill does the following: Expands eligibility criteria to allow a youth to request extended foster care services if the youth engages in employment for 80 hours or more per month. Limits expenditures on the new category of extended foster care to the funding provided specifically for this purpose. Adds an effective date of March 1, 2015.
