HARRISBURG – Columbia County Rep. Robert Leadbeter plans to introduce the Foster Youth Earned Benefits Protection for Success Act to ensure foster care children receive, protect, and build upon the federal benefits they have earned without losing them to offset costs associated with state care. The bill will establish guidance to identify foster youth who are eligible for earned federal benefits administered by the Social Security Administration or the Department of Veterans Affairs. Leadbeter said thousands of foster youths unknowingly lose access to earned benefits because child welfare agencies apply for the benefits, are appointed as representative payees, and then use the child’s money to reimburse themselves for the cost of foster care. Such practice strips vulnerable youth of assets intended to support their stability, promote independence, and transition to adulthood. The proposal would prohibit the state from using a child’s earned benefits to pay for foster care or any other state-incurred costs; require DHS to conserve a child’s funds in an approved account that protects eligibility for public benefits; mandate annual accounting; transparency; and notice to the child, parents (when applicable), the child’s attorney, and placement providers concerning the management of the child’s benefits; and require that any remaining funds be released directly to the youth upon their exit from care. The initiative would allow foster youth to access portions of saved benefits upon reaching meaningful milestones such as earning a high school diploma, enrolling in post-secondary or vocational training, maintaining consistent employment, or completing financial literacy education. Once the young person exits from care, any remaining benefits must be released to them if they are 18 years old or to a caretaker if the child is a minor.
REP. ROBERT LEADBETER