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Committee advances bill to extend foster care eligibility from 21 to 23
Summary
The House Health and Welfare Committee voted to send House Bill 245 to the floor with a “do pass” recommendation after testimony from sponsors, Department of Health and Welfare staff and two former foster youth. The bill would raise the upper age of eligibility for extended foster care from 21 to 23 and is estimated to affect roughly 40 youth.
The House Health and Welfare Committee voted to send House Bill 245 to the floor with a “do pass” recommendation after sponsors and witnesses described it as a targeted way to help youth transition to adulthood.
Representative Jason Monks (R., District 22), a sponsor, told the committee that the proposal would extend the age limit in the state’s extended foster-care program from 21 to 23 so young people could finish college or trade programs with two additional years of support. Representative Alana Rubell (R., District 18), the bill’s co-sponsor, said the program is small but effective: “We anticipate there will be about 40 participants,” Rubell said, and cited research showing extended foster-care participation reduces the risk of homelessness by 30 percent, reduces the likelihood of unplanned pregnancy by 28 percent, reduces the odds of arrest by 41 percent and increases the odds of completing at least a year of higher education “3 and a half times.”
Department of Health and Welfare staff told the committee their estimate of 40 participants assumes every eligible young person aged 21–23 opted into the program; a larger intake would increase the program’s cost. Department representative Adam Jones said the number is an upper-bound estimate and that nationwide foster-care caseloads have trended downward.
Two witnesses with personal experience in foster care urged passage. Sarah Betweiser, president of Family Advocates and an adviser with Signet, testified she supported expanding eligibility because early adulthood is a “difficult and transformative time” and the additional support can improve outcomes. Ivy Smith, a former foster youth who said she helped draft the original policy to extend care, recounted being blocked from moving into a college dorm because she was not yet 18 and described the obstacles that followed. “Please help foster youth have a fighting chance,” Smith said.
Committee members debated the bill’s fiscal impact. Representative Levitt asked whether the policy would yield long-term savings by reducing incarceration and homelessness; Rubell and supporters said they expect long-term societal savings would outweigh the program cost. Representative Kaler said he opposed the measure on fiscal-principle grounds, calling it another incremental increase in state spending.
Representative Dore Healy (R., District 15) made the motion to send House Bill 245 to the floor with a due-pass recommendation; the motion carried after voice vote. A roll call with named tallies was not recorded in the transcript; the chair announced the motion passed and the bill will proceed to the floor.
The sponsor and witnesses framed the bill as a narrowly targeted extension designed to align the state with federal guidance favoring eligibility to 23 and to give a small group of vulnerable youth more time to complete education or training. The committee did not adopt amendments during the hearing.
