Governor John Bel Edwards signs legislation that increases the maximum foster care age from 18 to 21-years-old. The Department of Children and Family Services says by expanding the program, it will help many foster care teens transition into adulthood. DCFS Secretary Marketa Garner Walters says for those that elect to stay in foster care, they can receive various forms of state aid.
“We can help them with tuition, we can help them with room and board, we can help them sign leases, we can help them with cars. We can offer them so much support,” said Walters.
Walters says the law allows those decide to leave foster care at 18 to come back in the event they feel they need the assistance.
“We have a beautiful case management system with Youth Villages called YV Life Set. It is the only proven model in the nation that works with this population,” said Walters.
Previously, the law ended support at 18, which meant some of those in the foster care program were not able to finish high school. Walters says the change will increase the likelihood of better outcomes.
“This will give them the ability to stay with us to get through high school or an equivalent degree, then make plans to move on to college or maybe a technical school,” said Walters.
