Will Public Counsel and a 108-page lawsuit alter the approach taken by county government to house youths aged 16 to 21?
, often without the guidance or support of family,” according to the statement. “DCFS and DMH help transition-age youth navigate these and other challenges by providing assistance with education and housing plans, job preparedness, transportation and mental health services.”
DCFS and DMH added that they “continue to explore partnerships with public, private and nonprofit organizations with the goals of enhancing housing stability and creating living-wage job opportunities for young people exiting care.”According to the suit, eligible youths can choose to remain in foster care until they turn 21. Last year, the county was responsible for more than 4,200 young people between the ages of 16 and 21, the suit says.
“By denying transition age youth in foster care the housing and crucial services they are legally entitled to, state and county defendants send the unmistakable message that these youth are disposable, that their care is a responsibility for which the government would rather just wash its hands,” said Tara Ford, senior counsel at Public Counsel, one of the firms that helped prepare the 108-page lawsuit.
“Today our young clients, who are all transition age youth in foster care, take the bold step of protecting their rights, they send another unmistakable message: ‘We do matter. We deserve care. We deserve better.’ We are committed to defending the rights of transition age youth in foster care to safe, stable, appropriate housing and needed supportive services.”
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