Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur (D-Hollywood) has introduced AB 1967, legislation aimed at closing gaps in California's child welfare system and removing barriers to extended foster care for young adults ages 18 to 21.
Sponsored by the Alliance for Children's Rights and the California Coalition for Youth, the bill establishes clear requirements for timely action by county child welfare agencies when a youth self-petitions for protection. It also ensures that former foster youth are not denied access to extended foster care when a guardian or adoptive parent continues to collect benefits without providing ongoing support.
The bill would require county social workers to immediately review self-petitions alleging abuse or neglect and determine whether to open a juvenile dependency case within 21 days. In 2024, Child Protective Services received more than 400,000 reports of abuse or neglect statewide. A recent State Auditor report found that investigations and services are frequently delayed due to staff shortages and high caseloads.
"Young people who reach out for help are often doing so at a moment of crisis," Zbur said. "This bill ensures that youth in foster care — who are disproportionately LGBTQ+, Black, and Native American — receive timely support and crucial interventions required to care for youth and keep them safe."
Kristin Power, vice president of policy and advocacy at the Alliance for Children's Rights, said the bill reduces artificial barriers and ensures systems are responsive to young people's needs to prevent housing instability. Jevon Wilkes, executive director of the California Coalition for Youth, said the legislation strengthens pathways to timely, critical support for abuse and neglect victims who reach out for help.
Edited by SMDP Staff