Tomorrow is a Board of Supervisors meeting, and one of the topics I’ll be focused on is supporting Assembly Bill 1512, which is vital for our foster youth.
Historically, when a child entered foster care because their parents passed away, counties in California collected foster care youth’s social security benefits on their behalf. Counties were using these funds to pay for the care of the child. However, this practice contributed to many foster youth entering homelessness. I’m proud that San Diego County reformed this practice earlier this year. In San Diego, the SSA benefits are put into a reserve account for the youth until they turn 16.
AB 1512 would require all counties to put the funds in a reserve account for the child. This bill would also require counties to provide financial planning for youth, which will help set our foster care youth up for a better future. The County of San Diego is a leader on this front, and I hope other counties throughout California will follow suit.
Youth Suicide
In addition to the ongoing efforts to reform the foster care system, tomorrow’s Board of Supervisors meeting will address another critical issue affecting our community, suicides.
We will be discussing the youth suicide report. It’s heartbreaking to see that San Diego County is among the counties with the highest rate of suicide for youth. 30% of teen girls seriously considered suicide, marking a 60% increase from 10 years ago. Youth today face different obstacles than the generations before them, and the rise of social media has had negative impacts, with the worst yet to be seen. The COVID lockdowns certainly didn’t help; we will witness the ramifications of those challenging times for years.
Last month, my office brought forward a Suicide Prevention Board Letter prompted by the shocking statistics from the preliminary results of the Gun Violence Reduction Needs Assessment. As we move forward, it’s crucial to remember that all age groups are affected by suicide, and we must continue pushing for additional resources.
