Committee votes to codify extended foster care coaching model after pilot increased participation

The Senate Health and Human Services Committee reported favorably on SB 13‑03, which would codify an extended foster care comprehensive service model and a success‑coaching program to support young adults ages 17 to 21 who opt into the extended foster care program.

Sponsor testimony and community partners described the measure as a transformation of the program from a low‑participation model to a coach‑based approach that increased participation. Megan Dell’Artiono said extended foster care participation rose from about 25% under the prior model to over 80% in the last two years after the coaching model was implemented. Coaches and program participants described weekly engagement that addresses housing, education, employment, life skills and mental‑health supports. Tish McNeil, an EFC coach with Youth Villages, described coaching techniques including life‑skills instruction, rights education and advocacy; a current participant, Anthony Evans, described receiving a $12,000 foster‑love scholarship, car assistance and housing supports that he said were made possible through the program.

Chris Gustafson of DCS said the agency supports codifying the pilot; DCS provided context that out‑of‑home population has fallen from about 16,000 in 2016 to under 8,000 now and that the pilot program has received community partner support. Committee members praised the program and the community partners who privately fund supports; the clerk recorded a favorable committee vote (6 ayes, 0 no, 1 not voting). SB 13‑03 would also create a fund within DCS to implement the model and require a quality‑review committee to confirm benchmark achievement for participating youth.