States across the United States are banning the practice of billing kids for the cost of their foster care. Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a similar effort in California, citing costs to the state.

Annie Corbett, 55, formerly of Redwood City, was charged in October 2020 with wire fraud in connection with Corbett Group Homes, Inc., a company that provided foster care for children and adolescents in group homes. 

The pilot program approved earlier this week will pay $1,000 a month to individuals ages 21 to 24 from June 2020 through May 2021.

Good Karma Bikes is part of a growing number of groups in Silicon Valley to merge cycling and social justice, or treat them as though they were always connected.

The number of unaccompanied immigrant minors crossing into the United States has increased nearly five times over during the last three years. On Tuesday, the county Board of Supervisors voted to further explore ways to help these children.

Two new initiatives we’re working on at the Santa Clara County Office of Education have the potential to be a model for how public agencies cooperate together to streamline and improve the delivery of important services to students.

San Jose Inside has learned that the Santa Clara County Office of Education cut tutoring services for foster youth and filed questionable federal grant reports while wasting more than a half-million dollars that could have helped the county's most needy children.

A South Bay adoption agency and nonprofit advocacy group plan to reach out to same-sex couples at San Jose Pride this weekend to encourage more of them to adopt. As part of a national effort to promote foster youth adoptions throughout the country, Raise A Child, Inc. will staff a booth with Campbell adoption agency EMQ Families First to get out the message.

I had high hopes for the new ABC Family cable show The Fosters when I saw the first promo. Produced by Jennifer Lopez, the new summer series highlights a new “non-traditional” family with foster children, and I was anxious to see how a foster family and the child welfare system would be portrayed on TV. But, after watching a few episodes, and speaking with a couple of foster kids about it, I have mixed feelings.

The Great Recession devastated shelters for battered women. And while government funding has declined, the need for such services has drastically increased. This issue will be one of many discussed at Tuesday’s county Board of Supervisors meeting, including a federal grant to develop news strategies to find long-term homes for foster children.

On Monday, I was invited to join a march to San Jose City Hall that was organized by the local chapter of the California Youth Connection (CYC). CYC is a youth-led organization that aims to develop leaders who will empower each other and their communities to transform the foster care system through legislative and policy change.

In my life, I have been inspired by bold and courageous individuals who worked tirelessly to give of themselves for the greater good of all people, especially those who are most needy. This region seems to have more than its fair share. Last week, I was proud to be present as a guest during State Assemblyman Jim Beall’s public hearing to develop an action plan for the state to better nurture the needs of foster youth.

Last week, during a tour of our downtown Drop-In Center for homeless youth, a donor watched as all our kids piled into a van for a trip to the beach. The donor questioned why we would take youth on an outing, rather than focus on the immediate needs of housing, employment, and education. The tone of the question said more than the words – the donor thought it was frivolous. It occurred to me that he may not be the only one who feels this way.