Gov. Neil Abercrombie with youth and adult supporters of Senate Bill 1340

Gov. Neil Abercrombie with some of the adult supporters of Senate Bill 1340

Gov. Neil Abercrombie signed Senate Bill 1340 into law July 1, 2013 at the State Capitol before an audience that included politicians, policy makers and youth advocates, the young and old alike.  SB 1340, now Act 252, extends voluntary foster care to age 21 in Hawaii.  The law will go into effect July 1, 2014,  giving the department time to develop the program.

Governor Abercrombie said that this sends a pertinent message to adults who were former foster youth, that  “They will be continued to be supported into their transition to adulthood and assisted  in their journey to become independent and self sufficient. ..Having these supports in place, I think, helps to set a course and lay a foundation for long term positive results for youth.”

We thank the many talented people who worked to make this dream a reality!