Supports and Services for Expectant and Parenting Youth in Foster Care - California
Youth's Parental Rights
Citation: Welf. & Inst. Code §§ 16002.5; 16501.25; 16501.26
Contact between the child, custodial parent, and noncustodial parent should be facilitated when it serves the child's best interests.
The shared responsibility plan shall not conflict with the teen parent's case plan and any visitation orders made by the court. The plan shall in no way limit the teen parent's legal right to make decisions regarding the care, custody, and control of the child.
The parenting support plan must not limit the parent's legal decision-making rights and should align with other case plans or court orders.
Placement Options
Citation: Welf. & Inst. Code § 16002.5
To maintain family unity, minor parents and nonminor dependent (NMD) parents must be placed together with their children in as family-like an environment as possible unless such placement risks the child's safety.
Health Services
An array of health-care services are available through the Department of Social Services via its Expectant Parent and Parenting Support Hub.
Parent Preparation for Expectant Youth
For information on additional services for both mothers and fathers, visit the Expectant Parent and Parenting Support Hub.
Education and Services to Support Parenting Youth
Citation: Welf. & Inst. Code § 16002.5
Minor and NMD parents must be allowed to attend school, complete homework, and engage in age-appropriate activities separate from parenting responsibilities. Collaborative efforts among child welfare, educational, and child care agencies should ensure access to school programs with onsite or coordinated child care for those who have not completed high school.
For more information about assistance in completing high school, see Educational Supports for Youth in Foster Care - California | Child Welfare Information Gateway.
Economic and Concrete Supports
Citation: Welf. & Inst. Code §§ 11465; 16501.25; DSS ACL No.21-123
Effective January 1, 2026: Dependent infants living with dependent teen parents in group homes or short-term residential therapeutic programs receive infant supplement rates.
An additional $200 monthly increase is provided for whole family foster homes when a shared responsibility plan is submitted and maintained.
NMD parents in supervised independent living placements who develop and have approved parenting support plans receive a $200 monthly increase after meeting specified criteria.
These supplemental payments are also adjusted annually for cost-of-living increases.
Starting January 1, 2022, rates for pregnant minors or NMDs include an expectant parent payment covering the 3 months before the anticipated birth, aimed at meeting specialized needs and preparing for the infant.
The shared responsibility plan shall include the purchase of necessary items, including, but not limited to, safety items, food, clothing, and developmentally appropriate toys and books. This includes both one-time purchases and items needed on an ongoing basis.
In policy: An expectant parent payment will be available to pregnant minors and NMDs 3 months prior to the expected due date. This payment will be in addition to the infant supplement payment that begins the month of birth.
A foster care maintenance payment may include an amount for a nondependent infant living with his or her minor/NMD parent in an eligible Aid to Families with Dependent Children-Foster Care or Approved Relative Caregiver Funding Program placement. This payment, known as the infant supplement, begins the month that the infant is born and continues as long as the nondependent infant continues to reside with the minor or NMD parent in an eligible placement.
An amount equivalent to the home-based foster care infant supplement shall be paid monthly for the final 3 months of a minor/NMD's pregnancy. The payment will be the same regardless of placement type, and it will be paid directly to the pregnant minor or NMD. This expectant parent payment is available to meet the specialized needs of the pregnant minor/NMD, as well as prepare for the needs of the infant. All items bought with these funds are the property of the pregnant minor/NMD who maintains possession if/when the person changes facilities or ages out.
Example uses of the expectant parent payment include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Cribs, rocking chairs, changing tables, or other infant-related furniture
- Car seats, strollers, or infant carriers
- Clothes for the infant or maternity clothes for the pregnant minor/NMD
- Nursing bras, breast pumps, formula, or other infant feeding necessities
- Diapers, pacifiers, bibs, and other miscellaneous infant items
Services and Supports for Parenting Youth That Promote Self-Sufficiency
This issue is not addressed in the laws and policies reviewed.
Foster Care Prevention Strategy for any Child Born to the Youth
Citation: Welf. & Inst. Code §§ 16002.5; 16501.25; 16501.26
Foster care placements for minor and NMD parents and their children shall demonstrate a willingness and ability to provide support and assistance to minor and NMD parents and their children, shall support the preservation of the family unit, and shall refer a minor or NMD parent to preventive services to address any concerns regarding the safety, health, or well-being of the child, and to help prevent, whenever possible, the filing of a petition to declare the child a dependent of the juvenile court pursuant to § 300.
When the child of a teen parent is not placed in foster care but is in full or partial physical custody of the teen parent, a written shared responsibility plan shall be developed. The shared responsibility plan must be created in writing between the teen parent, caregiver, county child welfare agency representatives, and, if applicable, foster family agency representatives, with optional input from others identified by the teen parent. The plan should be developed as soon as practicable, with allowances for temporary plans if all parties are not initially available.
The plan shall be designed to preserve and strengthen the teen parent family unit, to assist the teen parent in meeting the goals that facilitate a supportive home environment for the teen parent and the child, and to ultimately enable the teen parent to independently provide a safe, stable, and permanent home for the child.
The plan shall outline, with as much specificity as is practicable, the duties, rights, and responsibilities of both the teen parent and the caregiver regarding the child and identify supportive services to be offered to the teen parent by the caregiver. The plan shall be updated, as needed, to account for the changing needs of infants and toddlers, and in accordance with the teen parent's changing school, employment, or other outside responsibilities. The plan shall not conflict with the teen parent's case plan.
Areas to be addressed by the plan include, but are not limited to, all the following:
- Feeding, clothing, hygiene, health care, discipline, and sleeping arrangements
- Transportation to health-care appointments, child care, and school, as appropriate
- Provision of child care and babysitting
- Visits among the child, his or her noncustodial parent, and other appropriate family members, including the responsibilities of the teen parent, the caregiver, and the foster family agency, as appropriate, for facilitating the visitation
When the child is not under dependency court jurisdiction but in the custody of the NMD parent (a person aged 18 to 21), a written parenting support plan may be created between the parent and an identified responsible adult acting as a parenting mentor. The plan is designed to preserve and strengthen the family unit, assist the parent in meeting goals related to safe and stable housing and educational or employment objectives, and outline specific ways the responsible adult will support the parent in child care and related tasks.
The plan shall not conflict with the NMD parent's transitional independent living case plan or any visitation orders made by the court. The plan may include support such as transportation to health care, child care, school, and babysitting services, and must be updated as the child's and parent's needs change.