Program Information

Overview of Los Angeles County Probation AB 12/212 Activities and Placement Services Bureau’s Transition Jurisdiction Services Program

Background

AB 12 and AB 212, known collectively as The California Fostering Connections to Success Acts, were passed during September of 2010 and 2011 respectively, and went into effect on January 1, 2012.

Since January 2011, The Los Angeles County Probation Department (Probation) has been involved at the State and local levels to help shape AB 12, AB 212 and AB 1712.  AB 212 in particular dealt in large part with defining Extended Foster Care (EFC) for youth under WIC 602 – Delinquency Jurisdiction, and a new juvenile jurisdiction status: WIC 450 – Transition Jurisdiction.

Extended Foster Care Populations under Probation and Post-Probation Supervision

Extended Foster Care (EFC) generally refers to youth 18 years and up to 21 years old who remain on an order for foster care placement made by the Juvenile Court.   Two populations of youth in EFC come under the supervision of Probation: 1) youth under WIC 602 Jurisdiction who are on a placement order (Suitable Placement) on their 18th birthday; and 2) youth 17 years and over up to 20 year old as of 2014, on a placement order who have completed their rehabilitative goals may elect to remain in foster care under WIC 450 -Transition Jurisdiction.  Youth who are at least 18 years old are called

Non-minor Dependents, while those youth between 17 years and six months and just under 18 year old are called Transition Dependents.  To receive foster care or EFC benefits, transition dependents and nonminor dependents must be in process of performing one of five eligibility criteria:

  1. Enrolled in high school or an equivalent program;
  2. Enrolled in college/vocational school;
  3. Work at least 80 hours/month
  4. Participate in a program/activity that helps the youth find or removes barriers to employment;
  5. Able to do one of the above because of a medical or mental health condition.
Transition Jurisdiction Services: Probation’s EFC Program for youth under WIC 450 – Transition Jurisdiction

AB 12/212 provided individual counties with the option of determining if they wanted the WIC 450 Transition Jurisdiction youth to be supervised by a local child welfare agency or the probation department.  Los Angeles County decided that youth under this new juvenile jurisdiction would best be served when supervised by Probation.  To that end, Probation developed a new program, Transition Jurisdiction Services (TJS), to provide supervision, support and guidance to youth in EFC under WIC 450 Jurisdiction. Youth with placement orders who are 18 years old, and under WIC 602 Jurisdiction will continue to be supervised by DPOs from Probation’s Residential Based Services (RBS) Program.

Extended Foster Care Placements

The foster care placements that Probation currently utilizes can continue to be used by non-minor dependents whether under WIC 602 or 450. These placements are comprised of group homes and relative or non-relative caregivers. Generally, a non- minor dependent in a group home can only remain in that setting until he/she graduates high school, obtains a GED or turns 19 years old, whichever comes first.

In addition to creating the new juvenile jurisdiction category (WIC 450) for youth previously on probation who wish to remain in foster care, AB 12/212 also created two new placement settings for youth in EFC: 1) Transitional Housing Program Plus Foster Care (THP Plus FC) and; 2) the Supervised Independent Living Placement (SILP). THP Plus FC is still in the development process, but the SILP can consist of any number of residential settings from a room for rent to a dorm, depending on the youth’s readiness to live in such a setting and safety of the location. SILPS are is available to youth who can demonstrate a high level of independent living skills, maturity and demonstrate a clear plan to be successful outside of a more structured foster care setting.

Reentry into EFC

Generally, the delinquency court will order WIC 450 – Transition Jurisdiction, at the hearing to terminate probation, assuming the nonminor dependent wants to remain in foster care, and the court finds it in the youth’s best interest to do so.  However, AB

12/212 also created a specialized judicial process that allows youths who decide not to

remain in foster care at the time probation is terminated to reenter foster care under WIC 450 at a later date, assuming they meet the requisite age and eligibility requirements.  Reentry is also available to youths who had been under WIC 450, but whose case had been terminated due to non-compliance.

Contact Information

For more information about Probation’s Transition Jurisdiction Services Program, contact:

Jed Minoff, Director
O: 213-351-0243
Jedediah.minoff@probation.lacounty.gov

Kim Keating, SDPO
O: 323-730-4465
Kim.keating@probation.lacounty.gov

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