From Adolescence to Adult

For many adolescents, the move from adolescence to adulthood is a process and not a point in time. Research tells us that most of us are not fully independent until the age of 25 and spend the time from 18 to 25 consulting with our parents, getting loans, doing laundry at home. or perhaps even living at home with parents. For our youth in care, the experience is less of a process and more of an event. The support that they have received has varied a good deal and depended on their caregiver, ILP program, and individual probation officer. As is often the case, law has caught up with good practice and the needs of youth with the passage of Public Law 110-351, The Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of of 2008. Many of the mandates are becoming fully effective and the California Department of Social Services has recently released All County Letter (ACL) 09-87 that requires the implementation of a 90 day Transition Plan. The Transition Plan does NOT replace the Transitional Indendent Living Plan (TILP); however, the Transition Plan generally is only completed once for each youth.

The Transition Plan is required to be completed by the probation officer and the youth and may include any others that the youth desires. It is a youth directed plan that will be as detailed as the youth desires and is to be completed 90 days prior to the youth graduating from high school, turning ages 18 or 19 as dictated by his/her exit from foster care. The plan covers housing, education, health insurance, mentors/continuing support services and workforce support/employment services. It will reference documents that are required by the Juvenile Court to be provided to the youth prior to the termination of wardship when the youth is attaining majority.

Many of these areas will require work in advance of the 90 days to avoid delays or being overwhelmed. If it is apparent that the youth will be reaching majority while under the jurisdiction of the Court and under the care, custody, and control of the probation department; you may wish to begin collecting the required documents on a flow basis. Establishing lifelong relationships including family finding efforts, legal permanency, and relationship pacts are a part of concurrent planning and permanency efforts that will be ultimately be recorded in the Transition Plan.

Look for free training in the spring on transition planning. If your agency would like training in family finding, transition conferences, or transition planning, please contact us at (530)757-8643 and ask to speak to Luanne Puno.