A. The fostering connections program shall provide at least the following services and supports to eligible adults:

(1) major medical and behavioral health care coverage;

(2) housing, in one of the following settings that the eligible adult chooses:

(a) a supervised independent living setting;

(b) a transitional living program that the department licenses or approves; or

(c) placement in a residential facility or another institution; provided that: 1) except as provided pursuant to Item 2) of this subparagraph, an eligible adult who is residing in a residential facility upon leaving foster care may choose to temporarily stay until the eligible adult is able to transition to a more age-appropriate setting; and 2) if the court finds that an eligible adult's developmental level, disability or other condition indicates placement in a residential facility or another institution due to an eligible adult's developmental level, disability or other condition, the eligible adult shall be placed in a residential facility or another institution until the court deems that the eligible adult may be appropriately placed in another setting;

(3) foster care maintenance payments; provided that these payments:

(a) may be sent by the department, all or in part, directly to: 1) the eligible adult, if the eligible adult is living in a supervised independent living setting; or 2) a transitional living program, if the eligible adult is living in a transitional living program; and

(b) shall reflect the eligible adult's status as a parent, if applicable; and

(4) case management services that include the development of a case plan, developed jointly by the department and the eligible adult, that includes a description of the identified housing situation or living arrangement, and the resources to assist the eligible adult in the transition from the fostering connections program to adulthood. The case management services shall include assisting the eligible adult in:

(a) obtaining employment or other financial support;

(b) obtaining a government-issued identification card;

(c) opening and maintaining a bank account;

(d) obtaining appropriate community resources, including health, mental health, developmental disability and other disability services and support;

(e) when appropriate, satisfying any juvenile or criminal justice system requirements and assisting with sealing the eligible adult's children's court record pursuant to Section 32A-2-26 NMSA 1978;

(f) completing secondary education;

(g) applying for admission and aid for post-secondary education or vocational courses;

(h) obtaining the necessary state court findings and then applying for special immigrant juvenile status under federal law or applying for other immigration relief for which the eligible adult may be qualified;

(i) obtaining a copy of health and education records of the eligible adult;

(j) applying for any public benefits or benefits for which the eligible adult may be entitled or that may be due through the eligible adult's parents or relatives, including state or federal cash assistance, nutritional assistance or low-income home energy assistance;

(k) maintaining relationships with individuals who are important to the eligible adult, including searching for individuals with whom the eligible adult has lost contact;

(l) accessing information about maternal and paternal relatives, including any siblings;

(m) accessing youth empowerment opportunities and peer support groups; and

(n) accessing pregnancy and parenting resources and services.

B. The department shall not require background checks for other residents of a supervised independent living setting as a condition of approving an eligible adult's supervised independent living setting.

C. The department shall develop procedures to provide extended subsidies to families for adoption and guardianship until the eligible adult turns twenty-one years of age if:

(1) an adoption assistance or guardianship assistance agreement was in effect for the eligible adult when the eligible adult was sixteen years of age or older; and

(2) between the ages of eighteen and twenty-one years, the eligible adult meets at least one of the following participation criteria:

(a) completion of a secondary education or a program leading to an equivalent credential;

(b) enrollment in an institution that provides post-secondary or vocational education;

(c) participation in a program or activity designed to promote, or remove barriers to, employment;

(d) employment for at least eighty hours per month; or

(e) is incapable of doing any of the activities described in Subparagraphs (a) through (d) of this paragraph due to a medical or behavioral condition.

History: Laws 2019, ch. 149, § 4.

Effective dates. — Laws 2019, ch. 149 contained no effective date provision, but, pursuant to N.M. Const., art. IV, § 23, was effective June 14, 2019, 90 days after the adjournment of the legislature.