Foster Care & Extended Foster Care
Bridging the Digital Divide for Youth in Foster Care
In today’s digital world, lacking access to cell phones and the internet poses tremendous barriers for young people in foster care. For most young people, a smartphone is a gateway to education, employment, healthcare, legal support, and social support. As highlighted in Youth Law Center’s 2024 special report, On the Threshold of Change, for youth in foster care, these essential tools are too often inaccessible, further exacerbating their isolation and disconnection, limiting information, connection, and support, and exposing them to vulnerabilities and instability. Addressing this digital divide is not just a matter of convenience—it is a matter of equity, safety, and opportunity for youth in foster care. The pandemic and the recent wildfires in Los Angeles magnified the reality that cell phone and digital access are not a privilege; they are a necessity.
Cell phones are widely used for communication, work, and accessing information in contemporary society, and are practically essential for daily life. According to the Pew Research Center, the vast majority of Americans (98%) own a cell phone, while 43% of tweens (age 8 to 12) and 88% to 95% of teens (age 13 to 18) have their own smartphone. Even with such high cell phone ownership rates, access to digital technology is not equal across the board, and some teens and young adults in foster care face a specific set of challenges regarding digital access, including instability resulting from transitions to multiple homes, lack of constant family support and relationships, exposure to unsafe situations, and reduced options for economic mobility due to systemic barriers.
In 2018, Youth Law Center successfully advocated in California for the passage of legislation (AB 2448, Gipson) providing youth in foster care and juvenile justice access to computer technology and the internet. Practically, the California Public Utilities Commission’s Foster Youth Program, which provides free cell phones and talk, text and data service to youth currently or recently in foster care, is how this law is made real for thousands of youth who would otherwise be disconnected.
Many youth in foster care or who have recently exited foster care have shared how critical cell phones are to provide a lifeline to stability and support, offer equal access to education and employment, and preserve their safety and autonomy. Here are two of the many testimonials by young people in foster care, foster families and advocates to the CPUC last year that illustrate the importance of these phones:
“Having a phone aids me in being able to navigate adulthood. Being able to know I have a phone and cell service really eases the stress of transition to an independent life. It’s hard enough not being able to rely on family to support the transition so it’s nice knowing there are programs like this that will provide that for us so we can continue to succeed in life. It gives a sense of comfort to know that, former or current, foster youth are not forgotten.” – PV, Long Beach, CA
“I came to my foster home with not much and didn’t have a phone. Being able to have a phone helped me stay in touch with family (who lived in a different city from our new foster home), communicate with my foster parent and siblings when we needed, and stay in touch with friends which I think is important for foster children/teens.” – JK, Kingsburg, CA
Last year, the Youth Law Center and other advocates rallied California’s Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to make permanent the California Lifeline Foster Youth Pilot Program that provides cell phones and connectivity as part of “its unwavering commitment to fostering digital inclusion and socio-economic empowerment among California’s vulnerable populations.” Now, Youth Law Center and our partners have been leading efforts to work in partnership with CPUC and program staff to ensure as many youth have access to this critical resource as possible. This month, Youth Law Center filed a petition with the CPUC to make changes to the program that will align the Program with federal and state law, reduce access barriers, and maximize the FY Program’s benefits for current and former foster youth. We believe these changes are critical to ensure youth have the direct line to the emergency contacts, legal advocates, support services, loved ones, community, education, employment and health care that meet such basic critical needs in their daily lives. We look forward to keeping you updated as this advocacy progresses.
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