Guest blog post by Caitlin Magistad.
The transition to adulthood has become longer, more expensive, and increasingly complex; yet vulnerable populations including homeless, foster care, and juvenile justice youth are expected to transition to adulthood abruptly on their own. Trends in legislation and funding regarding disconnected youth illustrate both federal and state commitment to helping vulnerable youth make the transition to successful adulthood, including the John H. Chafee Foster Care Independence Program and Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act.
Despite increasing awareness of the importance of supporting disconnected youth aging out of the child welfare system, older adolescents continue to face significant barriers to successful adulthood. Thirty-five percent of children under state guardianship awaiting adoption in Minnesota are 12-18 years old (DHS, 2012). These older youth are at risk of aging out of the system without the requisite knowledge and skills to transition to adulthood successfully, as are the state’s unaccompanied youth age 21 and under who are most likely to experience homelessness when compared with their representation in the state’s total population (Wilder, 2013.
Emerging Adulthood Task Force
Introduced in the 2013 Legislature, House File 1020 and Senate File 991 propose a taskforce convened by the commissioner of human services to review existing data and resources to define the challenges facing disconnected youth and to make recommendations to the legislature by January 15, 2014. This Emerging Adulthood Task Force Legislation acknowledges that vulnerable populations including homeless, foster care, and juvenile justice youth require additional support to build a foundation for adult independence. The proposed task force will be comprised of 15 members representing a diverse group of stakeholders, including representatives from the Department of Human Services, the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency, Departments of Education and Higher Education, Department of Corrections, and a number of youth-serving and advocacy organizations, among others. The Emerging Adulthood Task Force will be expected to make recommendations to the 2014 Legislature and administration to

  • assure well-planned and appropriate transitions to stability for all youth exiting from child welfare, corrections or other placements;
  • address barriers to housing, employment and education for youth;
  • include methods to increase high school graduation and enrollment in postsecondary education; and
  • highlight methods to promote stable supportive connections with kin and community.

Bill Status and Next Steps
House: Passed through Early Childhood Youth Development and Government Operations committees; currently referred to Health and Human Services Finance Committee and awaiting a hearing
Senate: Passed through Health, Human Service, and Housing Policy and State and Local Government committees, referred to Finance committee following a second reading on the Senate floor on April 2, 2013
While the bill does not propose changes or additional services expected to have a significant fiscal impact, the convening and administration of the task force and its final report will require some level of funding. Considering the significantly-reduced budget targets for the House and Senate Health and Human Service Finance committees, even proposals with a limited fiscal impact will require additional scrutiny by the committee in the final weeks of the legislative session.