Franklin’s bill would extend health coverage to foster youth older than age 18

OLYMPIA – Delilah Bruskas was 5 years old when she was placed in foster care. To this day, she doesn’t know why she was separated from her mother and siblings. When she “aged out” of foster care at age 18, she struggled emotionally. Because the state left her without health care coverage, there was little she could do to address her mental health needs.

To prevent future foster youth from experiencing similar circumstances, Sen. Rosa Franklin, D-Tacoma, is sponsoring Senate Bill 5305, which would extend health care coverage for foster youth until age 21. The companion measure, House Bill 1201, passed the House of Representatives on March 6.

“As foster children ‘age out,’ we need to provide tools, like medical coverage, to help them become more independent,” Franklin said. “As a state, we made the commitment to provide all children with health care coverage by 2010. Foster care children should also be included in the equation.”

The bill would also assist foster care youth to make the transition into adulthood, which would have helped foster youth such as Bruskas, now married with a child.

Bruskas, a registered nurse with a master’s degree, is the founder of the non-profit organization Pacific Northwest Alumni Society, which advocates for children formerly and presently in foster care by giving them a voice.

Testifying before the Senate Ways & Means Committee, Bruskas said that many foster kids find themselves with little emotional, social and financial support after aging out of the child welfare system. She also said that the bill would save money in the long run, since foster youth typically turn to emergency rooms for treatment when a medical need arises.

“As a former foster child, I know how hard it is ‘making it’ as an adult who’s suddenly been turned out of the system because you’ve turned 18,” said Bruskas, who has also written an article accepted for publication in the Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Nursing. “I’ve seen some of these kids come into the E.R. and know that if they had access to health care, they could be seen and treated sooner and decrease the cost of health care.”

The bill now moves to the House of Representatives for further consideration. The legislative session is scheduled to end April 22.

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