Education (Higher Education · Children)

HB 2482 establishes a "Foster Care Youth Bill of Rights" for school-aged children in state foster care, directly affecting foster youth, foster parents, and child welfare agencies. It requires agencies to provide age-appropriate orientation to youth and foster parents, post the rights in facilities, and make them accessible online. Key provisions include the right to safe housing, family contact, educational stability (staying in their school of origin), court participation when appropriate, and a timely permanency plan developed within 12 months of placement. The bill also mandates transition planning for youth aging out of care, including job skills training, financial literacy, and college application assistance, and allows enforcement of these rights through court action.