A roundup of some of The Imprint’s most impactful stories from the past year
When he served on the board of supervisors for Santa Clara County, California, Dave Cortese championed and helped establish the nation’s first pilot program to test guaranteed income for youth aging out of the foster care system.
In 2021, Cortese’s first full year as a state senator, the scope of the experiment was greatly expanded. In a development that advocates in many states have their eyes on, California is now offering funds to any county interested in working on monthly support for youth transitioning out of foster care.
In a historic move to support young adults raised by the government, a monthly check of up to $1,000 — with no restrictions and no strings attached — will be sent to thousands of California foster youth once they leave the state’s custody.
With no-strings-attached income on the way for some of California’s current and former foster youth, advocates and legislators are trying to ensure there aren’t unintended consequences; specifically, they don’t want the added income to leave young people ineligible for other public assistance programs.
California has also committed to another universal support for youth in foster care and those who exit the system: cell phone coverage through the age of 26.
Listen: Andrea Amavisca, a legislative aide to State Sen. Dave Cortese, joined The Imprint Weekly Podcast to discuss the new UBI pilot project. Veronica Vieyra, who participated in a smaller test of guaranteed income in Santa Clara County, joined the episode to reflect on the impact that help has had on her life this year.