The Affordable Care Act guaranteed children the ability to stay on their parents’ health insurance until age 26, and allowed foster youth who age out of care at 18 to stay on Medicaid until their 26 birthday, regardless of income. This provision promotes equity by helping foster care alumni stay connected to health services.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work that way. We’ve heard from countless former foster youth who say that staying connected is more difficult than it needs to be in Arizona.

Take Oshianna (pictured above), a member of Fostering Advocates of Arizona (FAAZ). Oshi turned 18 just as she was getting ready to start college. She had not received her dorm assignment yet and was not sure where she would be living.  The DCS Caseworker enrolled her in AHCCCS and put the DCS office address on the application. Oshi never received a letter from AHCCCS asking her for information, and was unaware she lost coverage until she became ill and needed to be hospitalized. More than 90 days had passed since her coverage had lapsed and her appeal was denied. Oshi is still paying off more than $4000 in medical bills from her hospital stay.

Stories like Oshi’s are the reason we drafted HB2632. Sponsored by Representative Walter Blackman, the bill would prevent former foster youth from having to deal with red tape to keep their health coverage.

We are pleased to say that not only has the bill passed unanimously through the Arizona House of Representatives, AHCCCS has also agreed to make the requested changes administratively. We know this will make a world of difference for former foster youth across Arizona.

To learn more about policy priorities identified by FAAZ this session, click here.

And to thank Representative Blackman for sponsoring this legislation, email here.

The young leaders of Fostering Advocate Arizona (FAAZ), alumni of foster care and change agents, hosted their annual Day at the Capitol today!

The FAAZ Young Adult Leadership Board started their day at the House Health and Human Services Committee where they  supported bill HB2632 which, if enacted, will make it easier for former foster youth to keep their Medicaid coverage after they age out of foster care. Following that, they met with Assistant Superintendent of Public Instruction, Kate Wright at the Arizona Department of Education and later had lunch with key legislators.

The FAAZ board shared their 2020 Priorities with lawmakers and include:

• Prioritize family finding and preserve healthy connections

• Reduce Department of Child Safety caseloads and enhance the case specialist relationship

• Help youth aging out secure stable housing by increasing the Independent Living Subsidy

• Increase access to healthcare by reducing bureaucratic barriers (HB 2632)

• Invest in the potential of foster youth by improving the Arizona Tuition Waiver (HB 2763)

Thanks to Representative Blackman, who is sponsoring both bills. Stay tuned for their progress throughout the legislative session!

Over 75 members of Arizona Grandparent Ambassadors (AZGA), a statewide network of grandparents who are raising their grandchildren and other kinship caregivers, hosted their annual Day at the Capitol on Monday, February 10, 2020.

Grandparents kicked off the event by delivering “Cookies from Grandma” to lawmakers, followed by a press conference to highlight their legislative priorities of improving financial supports for kinship caregivers. Legislative priorities were decided at last year’s annual AZGA Summit by grandparents and kinship caregivers. Their priorities include:

1. Prevent kids from coming into the system. Support for non-DCS kinship families with court-ordered placements.
   • SB1569 sponsored by Senator Kate Brophy McGee
2. Increase financial supports for DCS kinship families. Streamline TANF for eligible DCS children.
   • SB1323 sponsored by Senator Kate Brophy McGee
3. Increase financial supports for DCS kinship families. Increase the kinship stipend.
   • SB1315 sponsored by Representative Lela Alston

Senators Lela Alston and Kate Brophy McGee stood together and applauded the grandmas’ efforts from the Senate floor, stating “supporting kinship care just makes sense.” From first-time attendees to seasoned advocates, grandparents and kinship caregivers worked together and all left with a feeling of hope that their priorities will become a reality for kinship caregivers statewide. Learn more about the Arizona Grandparent Ambassadors and how to get involved at AZGA.ORG.