Are you a foster youth in California with questions about services or your rights? Are you a foster parent or legal guardian looking for information? These websites can help foster youth, parents and others navigate the foster care system.

Government links

Los Angeles County
The Department of Children and Family Services is the agency responsible for protecting the welfare of children in Los Angeles County. DCFS social workers investigate reports of child abuse and remove children from their homes when they find abuse or neglect. Information on the website includes DCFS services and how to become a foster parent. To report child abuse in Los Angeles County, call (800) 540-4000.

DCFS’s Emancipation Program provides services to emancipating youth and young adults who have already aged out of the system. Get information on Independent Living classes, transitional housing, healthcare, education, employment and other services. Check out the link to the emancipation ombudsman, who can help foster youth with a problem or if they have questions about emancipation.

If you are living in a Los Angeles County group home and have a problem or complaint, call the group home ombudsman toll-free at (888) 445-1234.

To find out whether a Los Angeles County group home or foster agency is in compliance with DCFS regulations, read a report at the Department of Auditor-Controller.

California
The Foster Care Ombudsman is an independent office created to act on the behalf of California foster youth. Call toll-free at (877) 846-1602 or go to the Web site to file a complaint regarding your placement, care or services without fear of retribution. The office investigates complaints and has information about foster youth rights.

The Community Care Licensing Division has information on facilities licensed to provide out-of-home care, including group homes, foster homes and transitional housing facilities. Click on Title 22 Regulations to read the regulations governing these facilities. Click on Search for a Facility for information on any licensed facility including licensing status, address and telephone number.

The website www.after18ca.org has information on the new state law extending foster care services to age 20, including FAQs for foster youth.

United States
The Children’s Bureau is the federal agency that provides funds to states for foster care services.

Advocacy/Legal aid

California Youth Connection is a youth-run advocacy group made up of current and former foster youth ages 14 to 24. They work to improve foster care and educate the public and policy makers about the unique needs of foster youth. CYC has 22 local chapters around the state.

The Alliance for Children’s Rights offers free legal services to foster youth in Los Angeles County.

Public Counsel provides free legal assistance to low-income children and families in Los Angeles. Its free services include representing parents adopting children and youth emancipating from foster care.

Children’s Law Center is a nonprofit, public interest law firm funded by the Los Angeles Superior Court to serve as the “voice” in the foster care system for the vast majority of the 30,000 children under the jurisdiction of the Los Angeles County dependency court.

The Youth Law Center is a nonprofit, public interest law office that works to protect abused and at-risk children nationwide (it has offices in San Francisco and Washington, D.C.). Attorneys investigate reports of abuse of children in adult jails, juvenile detention facilities, state institutions and child welfare systems. It has filed lawsuits to bring about change to child welfare and juvenile justice systems.

College

Get information and apply online for Chafee Grants, which give up to $5,000 per year of free money to foster youth and former foster youth to use for college courses or vocational school training.

The Renaissance Scholars Program at Cal Poly Pomona offers services specifically for emancipated foster youth. The program provides financial assistance, housing, counseling and health care.

The Guardian Scholars Program at Cal State Fullerton for former foster youth pays for tuition and provides services including year- round on-campus housing, counseling and mentoring.

For youth

Represent is a bimonthly nationwide magazine written by and for young people in foster care. Published by Youth Communication of New York, Represent is designed to give a voice to young people living in the system by providing a forum for an open exchange of views and experiences by those most impacted by foster care.

FosterClub is a fun site with lots of information relating to foster care, including articles, Q&As, message boards, contests, discussions and even biographies of famous people who grew up in care.

The Transition Club is a site for emancipating foster youth between the ages of 14 to 23. It has information on scholarships, resources in your state and your rights.

For parents

FosterClub for grownups is a resource for adults caring for foster children.

Research/Data

The Child Welfare League of America provides child welfare data and statistics for an individual state or nationwide.

Read a report released in May 2004 by the Pew Commission on Children in Foster Care that recommended changes to the nation’s foster care system.