Bella Chang L&S Social Sciences
Examining CA AB12: Foster youth & human trafficking in the Bay Area
From the time one is born, family is the tie that binds you to what is supposed to be your first community. For children who enter foster care, that community either doesn’t exist or is broken to the point of nonexistence. Children who enter foster care are often separated from their primary biological ties, such as their siblings, and their primary physical roots, such as their place of origin. Studies show that this physical instability increases foster youth’s vulnerability to trafficking, even into adulthood, with the Bay Area as a hotspot for this activity. In 2008, California was one of the first states in the nation to enact a law to create the Extended Foster Care Program, which provides care for foster youth up to the age of 21. This research project explores the experiences of young adults in the Bay Area who have received services through California’s Extended Foster Care Program, focusing on the intersection of foster care and human trafficking, with hope of informing policy reform for foster youth of the future.
Message To Sponsor
Every second Saturday, I take care of foster youth in the East Bay while their caretakers attend a support group meeting. I found interest in the intersection between the foster care and trafficking system, and now I am so excited that I have the chance to do my own research into the issue. Thank you for enabling me to explore the nuances of social welfare and widening the academic breadth of my time in university!