Resources for Youth During the COVID-19 Pandemic

About Youth Justice at BayLegal

Download this information as a PDF flyer.

The Youth Justice Project gives legal advice and represents young people between the ages of 14 to 25 for FREE. We keep everything you tell us CONFIDENTIAL unless we get your permission to share certain information.

  • How to Contact Us
    • Youth Legal Hotline: (510) 250-5277
    • Leave a message ANYTIME with your name and a callback number. We are working remotely for clients during the COVID-19 shelter in place.
  • Please call if you are a young person who has questions about:
    • Homelessness: if you are experiencing homelessness or do not have a safe place to live
    • Foster Care: if you want help getting into foster care or getting AB 12 benefits (extended foster care)
    • Guardianship: if you need help making someone your guardian
    • Medical: if you need access to medical or mental health benefits
    • School: if you want help with school (enrollment, discipline, special education)
    • Public Benefits: if you were denied public benefits like CalFresh (food stamps) or General Assistance (cash aid)
    • Have questions about immigration, restraining orders, and record sealing? When in doubt, please give us a call.

 


Resources for Foster Youth and Former Foster Youth

Download foster youth resources as a PDF flyer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • The State is temporarily extending Extended Foster Care through June 30, 2020 for non-minor dependents (foster youth who are on AB 12) who would otherwise age out on their 21st birthday. A non-minor dependent’s social worker or probation officer should also be flexible about the eligibility criteria for AB 12,given that some things like work, college, and certain programs may be unavailable due to COVID-19. If a young person cannot meet the eligibility criteria for AB 12 during this time, the social worker or probation officer have to document the reasons, but extended foster care will still continue through June 30, 2020.
  • Former foster youth between the ages of 18 and 21 who are eligible can “re-enter” Extended Foster Care (AB 12) by signing Mutual Agreements with their county. Services and housing placements must begin as soon as the agreement is assigned, and youth do not have to wait for a court hearing.
  • Counties are still obligated to make sure AB 12 youth have appropriate housing placements.
  • Forms like Mutual Agreements and Transitional Independent Living Plans and others can be done without face-to-face contact.
  • If you are on AB 12 and are being discharged from your Transitional Housing Program, please call Bay Area Legal Aid’s Youth Justice Project at (510) 250-5277 and leave a message, or reach out to the California Department of Social Services Foster Care Ombudsman.


Education

Download West Contra Costa Unified School district information as a PDF flyer.
Download Oakland Unified School District information as a PDF flyer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The California Department of Education continues to offer guidance to school districts throughout the state, but it is largely up to each school district to decide how it will implement distance learning. Find out directly from your school district how it is handling things like grades, credits, special education, and discipline at this time.


 

 


Mental Health and Medical Access

Download Alameda County mental health information as a PDF flyer.
Download Contra Costa County mental health access information as a PDF flyer.
Download Santa Clara County mental health access information as a PDF flyer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Young people should still have access to mental health care, including by phone and video, and prescription medications during COVID-19.
  • Individuals with a Medi-Cal Managed Health Care Plans will not be required to pay for COVID-19 testing.
  • Most Plans cannot delay or cancel your medical treatments if it will harm your health, and many visits can be done by phone or video.
  • If you are having trouble getting access to or getting coverage for certain services, please call our Health Consumer Center at (855) 693-7285.

 

 

 

 



General Resources At-a-Glance

Download other youth resources as a PDF flyer.