Youth in foster care, especially youth of color, experience higher rates of trauma. They are also more likely to face criminalization rather than having their needs met with real support. Policies that delay or deny employment as peer mentors for current and former foster youth (often due to nonviolent offenses) disproportionately keep them from getting hired into positions where they can make a critical impact and also improve their own lives. 

AB 2126, authored by Assemblymember Sade Elhawary (Los Angeles), establishes automatic background check exemptions for current and former foster youth to become peer mentors. This bill reduces employment barriers and expands opportunities for system-involved youth, particularly youth of color, who are disproportionately impacted by low-level criminal records compared to their white, non-system-involved peers.

Co-sponsors for AB 2126 include The Children’s Partnership, Alliance for Boys and Men of Color, California Alliance of Child and Family Services and the County Welfare Directors Association of California. 

Help us create change for current and former foster youth by uplifting AB 2126! Share these posts on your social media platforms.

#PEERAct #AB2126 #CALeg #FosterYouth #MentalHealth

California is in a youth mental health crisis – that’s why we need to remove unnecessary barriers that prevent qualified people from providing much-needed care.

Peer mentors offer relevant, lived experience that make a positive impact on foster youth. But they’re not getting the peer support they need – because 3 out of 5 peer-mentor job applicants don’t make it due to background check delays.

#AB2126 the PEER Act (@asmsadeelhawary) would change that. 

We need more mentors, more support, and more chances for foster youth to connect with someone who understands them.

#PEERAct #CALeg #FosterYouth #MentalHealth

Youth of color are over-policed, over-disciplined, and overrepresented in foster care.

These systemic inequities make it hard for them to get jobs as peer mentors, where they can make a huge impact.

#AB2126 the #PEERAct (@asmsadeelhawary) will remove barriers and create opportunities.

A youth #MentalHealth bill we need now ➡️ CA’s PEER Act #AB2126 (@asmsadeelhawary) will remove barriers and create paths to peer mentor jobs for current & former #FosterYouth.

#CALeg #PEERAct @KidsPartnership

@allianceforbmoc @cwda_ca @KidsPartnership

@AllianceforBMOC @County Welfare Directors Association of California @California Alliance of Child and Family Services @KidsPartnership

@AllianceforBMOC @CWDA_CA @CaAllianceKIDS @KidsPartnership

Up to 3 million Californians could lose Medi-Cal – not because they don’t qualify, but because of paperwork issues. We’ve seen this before, and we know the solution. 

During the 2023 Medi-Cal unwinding, California responded with automatic income verification, streamlined renewals, and less paperwork for families. This was effective. The result was fewer coverage losses and more families staying covered. 

When these protections ended last year, automatic renewals declined by half. That means hundreds of thousands of renewals need to be processed manually each month, leading to costly delays in coverage and care. And with new H.R. 1 requirements, including increasing Medi-Cal renewals to twice per year, we can expect even more delays as administrative burden increases in 2027.

AB 2201 seeks to bring back strategies that we already know work. The bill would 

• simplify renewals, 

• reduce coverage losses, and 

• ease county workloads, helping keep California’s families covered.

Co-sponsors for AB 2201 include Health Access California, Justice in Aging, Latino Coalition for a Healthy California, National Health Law Program, The Children’s Partnership, and Western Center on Law & Poverty.

Help us cut the red tape for Californians who rely on Medi-Cal for their health coverage by uplifting AB 2201 (Boerner), the Medi-Cal Renewal Relief Act! 

Share these posts on your social media platforms. You can find social media tags to include in your post at the bottom of this Nectarkit.

Big win for health equity in #California! 

#AB2201, the Medi-Cal Renewal Relief Act, passed off the Assembly floor! 

We’re one step closer to reinstating proven strategies to keep more Californians covered! 

🙏🏽Thank you to Asm. Tasha Boerner for authoring this bill and to the Assembly for recognizing the importance of reliable and accessible health coverage!

#CaLeg #KeepCaCovered

5 million children in California get their health insurance through Medi-Cal!

3 million Californians are at risk of losing Medi-Cal coverage due to paperwork issues. 

Support the Medi-Cal Renewal Relief Act!

Keeping Medi-Cal renewals simple makes it easier for families to keep their health insurance, and it eases the workloads for county workers to make sure families don’t lose access to health coverage.

AB 2201, authored by Assemblymember Tasha Boerner, will bring back what we already know works to keep Californians covered. We saw automatic renewals keep eligible families covered during the pandemic. 

State Medicaid programs across the nation are already struggling to implement Trump’s H.R. 1, which cuts funding for our health care programs. California can lead the way in fighting back with simple, proven solutions.

We need to keep the path to health care free of red tape. Even short gaps in coverage can disrupt healthy outcomes. Let’s make sure we’re doing all we can to keep Californians covered! 

#AB2201 #CALeg #MediCalRelief

5 million children in California get their health insurance through Medi-Cal!

3 million Californians are at risk of losing Medi-Cal coverage due to paperwork issues. 

Support the Medi-Cal Renewal Relief Act!

Keeping Medi-Cal renewals simple makes it easier for families to keep their health insurance, and it eases the workloads for county workers to make sure families don’t lose access to health coverage.

AB 2201, authored by Assemblymember Tasha Boerner, will bring back what we already know works to keep Californians covered. We saw automatic renewals keep eligible families covered during the pandemic. 

 State Medicaid programs across the nation are already struggling to implement Trump’s H.R. 1, which cuts funding for our health care programs. California can lead the way in fighting back with simple, proven solutions.

We need to keep the path to health care free of red tape. Even short gaps in coverage can disrupt healthy outcomes. Let’s make sure we’re doing all we can to keep Californians covered! 

#AB2201 #CALeg #MediCalRelief

3 million Californians could lose Medi-Cal due to paperwork issues.

#AB2201 Medi-Cal Renewal Relief Act (Boerner) would bring back a proven strategy to simplify renewals and allow more Californians to keep their health insurance. 

#MediCalRelief

@lchc_ca
@AsmTbh
@healthaccessca
@western_center
@justiceinaging
@KidsPartnership

@National Health Law Program
@Latino Coalition for a Healthy California
@AssemblymemberTBH
@Health Access California
@Western Center on Law & Poverty
@JusticeinAging
@KidsPartnership

@NHeLP_org
@LCHC_CA
@AsmTbh
@healthaccess
@Western_Center
@KidsPartnership

@national-health-law-program
@latino-coalition-for-a-healthy-california
@boerner
@healthaccesscalifornia
@western-center-on-law-and-poverty
@justice-in-aging
@KidsPartnership

@nhelp.bsky.social
@healthaccess.bsky.social
@westerncenter.bsky.social
@justiceinaging.org
@KidsPartnership.bsky.social