Seeking Financial Aid for Older Foster Kids

The Pennsylvania Senate Judiciary Committee has unanimously approved a measure that would require county children and youth agencies to evaluate every child in foster care for eligibility for federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI) prior to their leaving the system.
The bill's sponsor Democratic Senator LeAnna Washington of Philadelphia believes that 2,000 of the 20,000 children in foster care would qualify....."The goal is to use existing federal programs to provide children aging out of foster care with resources to assist in their transition to independence."
To qualify for SSI, a child must have a diagnosed physical or mental condition that very seriously limits his or her activities. That condition must last at least one year or be expected to result in the child's death.
Senator Washington says the child could be eligible for monthly payments up to $674. The money would go to the state until the child is 18..."Given the 2 very pressing needs we face--finding resources to ensure stability for children that age out of foster care without family or resources and the need to identify new revenue streams for the state" it's time to consider her legislation.
Washington says other states including California have done this and she estimates that qualifying the foster kids for SSI could mean $18 million a year for the state. After the foster child turns 18, the monthly payments go to the individual.

State Representative Proposes a Bill of Rights for Foster Children

A state legislator has reintroduced a bill that would create a bill of rights for foster children. Representative Phyllis Mundy of Luzerne County says she has introduced her “Children in Foster Care Act” legislation during every session since 2005. But this time, she’s made some adjustments that may make the bill more popular, by omitting a section that would have protected children against discrimination based on sexual orientation. Because many children are in foster care because of their sexual orientation, she says the clause would be relevant in the bill of rights. However, since she’s had trouble passing it with that inclusion, she says she’d “rather pass an imperfect bill than no bill at all.”
Mundy says some of the included rights in the list are to live in a safe, healthy home, to receive proper routine medical treatment and to retain a solid education. Other rights are to protect children against corporal punishment and other abuses.