Bill > B26-0399

This bill establishes a new legal pathway called Support, Opportunity, Unity, Legal Relationships (SOUL) for youth ages 16 and older in the foster care system, allowing them to create a support family that provides legal relationships and ongoing support without terminating existing parental rights. The SOUL option enables a youth to establish a legal relationship with caregivers and supporters who can help them transition to adulthood, with specific provisions for allocating rights and responsibilities such as making educational and healthcare decisions, providing housing, and offering guidance. The bill requires a youth-driven process for developing a support family agreement, which must be approved by the Family Court after determining it serves the youth's best interests, and includes provisions for financial subsidies to support the arrangement until the youth reaches 21 years old. The support family order closes the youth's foster care case but preserves important legal connections like inheritance rights and parental visitation, while giving the youth more agency in determining their support network as they approach adulthood. The legislation aims to provide a flexible, supportive alternative to traditional foster care that recognizes the importance of maintaining connections and creating stable support systems for older youth in the child welfare system.

Education

https://lims.dccouncil.gov/Legislation/B26-0399