Millions of dollars that were supposed
to go to foster children in San
Diego have been intercepted by the
county and in many cases this was
done without the kids knowledge.
Advocates for foster youth call this
practice atrocious and unacceptable.
Tonight, CBS8 Steve Price introduces
us to a woman who should have left the
foster system with thousands of dollars,
but instead left broke and homeless.
It was cold. It was raining.
Like, I really couldn't survive.
I'm starving. Katrina
called this place home for seven months,
a weed filled patch in the Mesa
close to a trolley stop so she
could get to class at City College.
I was just trying to do all my class
work on my phone when my phone died.
Like a couple little places around
here helped me like charge my phone.
When Katrina was just nine years old,
her dad died from a heart attack.
Then, at age 12, her mom died
from an undetected medical issue.
Like, literally witness both of my parents
passing away right in front of me.
Katrina ended up in foster care,
then transitional housing until age 21,
but after that she was forced
out on her own with only a
few dollars to her name.
She went to the county for help
multiple times, but says their
advice was always the same
Get a job, Save the money. And
find your own place because
we can't do anything for you.
But here's the thing.
Because Katrina's parents died,
she received Social
Security death benefits.
So where did that money go?
Katrina has no idea.
She never saw a penny of it.
I didn't even know I was. I would had
that type of thing.
Apparently either San Diego or
San Bernardino County intercepted
her money without telling her and
put it in their general fund.
This is. So unacceptable.
Sarah Potter is a former foster youth
who now serves as a community advocate.
She got a tip about Katrina living in a
tent and found her temporary housing.
We're talking about a young person who's 22,
who aged out of foster care,
was told by the county, well,
get a job, save money so you
can pay for your own housing.
Meanwhile, how many 10s of
thousands of dollars did they
probably take from her or intercept
that were her parents benefits?
To reimburse themselves for
her care and then leaving her
with with nothing, Katrina's
story is not unique.
CBSA filed the Public Records
Act request with the county,
asking how much Social Security
money that was meant for
local kids was intercepted.
They say over the past eight years
they deposited more than $3.2 million.
It's money they took from 310 foster kids
for the state to intercept
that money in secret,
behind the backs of foster you.
While they're in a particularly
vulnerable position in care,
is is is amoral and and
quite frankly, predatory.
Amy Hartfeld is with the
Children's Advocacy Institute,
a USD based nonprofit that is currently
helping two other foster kids sue the
county for taking their death benefits.
Counties have long argued that
they're entitled to the money as
compensation for the costs associated
with taking care of a foster child,
but Hartfeld strongly disagrees.
No child is responsible for paying for
their own foster care. That's ridiculous.
The county says it stopped intercepting
all foster youth SSI money last
year and is now placing the money
in accounts created for each child.
But Amy is skeptical that foster children
are leaving the system with all their money.
If that is true, that's great news and
and I applaud the efforts of the county.
But we haven't seen any evidence of that or.
Any documentation that they actually
have stopped the practice. Hartfeld
is now working to change both federal
and state laws to end this practice
once and for all here in California.
Assembly Bill 1512 is making its way
through Sacramento and specifically
requires that benefits are not used
to pay for or to reimburse the placing
agency for any cost of the child's care.
I'm very optimistic about its passage.
It seems that lawmakers on both
sides of the aisle understand that.
What has been happening is egregious.
Amy also says the White House
has agreed to take on this issue
and hopes a federal bill will be
introduced in the coming months.
I was right here. Katrina doubts
she'll ever see any of her money,
but she's sharing her story hoping
it will lead to changes that
help foster kids in the future.
In the meantime,
she's working in an after school program,
helping kids and studying to get
her a a degree with one big goal.
Make sure I have stable housing.
As far as the years go on,
you don't ever have to come
back here in La Mesa.
Steve Price, CBS8.