| The California state budget adopted in July includes a $2.9 million dollar request from NCYL and its partners, In Our Own Voice, National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda, Children’s Law Center of Los Angeles, and John Burton Advocates to ensure foster youth receive age appropriate, medically accurate comprehensive sex education, and access to reproductive and sexual health services. As a result California law now requires child welfare case workers to ensure foster youth ages 10 and older receive the state-mandated comprehensive sexual health curriculum provided in public schools. In addition, on an annual basis, case workers must document in the child welfare case plan that they have informed foster youth 10 and older of their reproductive rights, how to access reproductive health care, and how to address barriers to access in an age and developmentally appropriate manner. The law also provides for training social workers, caregivers, and judges on how to engage with youth and non-minor dependents about healthy sexual development in an age and developmentally appropriate manner, and the reproductive rights and services available to foster youth. |
