How to Sign Up

When Can I Sign Up?

ANYTIME. The law extending Medi-Cal coverage for former foster youth up to age 26 took effect on January 1, 2014. There is no open enrollment period for Medi-Cal and you can apply anytime of the year.

How Do I Sign Up?

OPTION 1: Online Through Covered California

You can also sign up online at www.coveredca.com. The online application includes a question about whether anyone applying for health care was in foster care at age 18 or older. If you answer “yes” to this question, you should immediately be enrolled in the Medi-Cal program for former foster youth. If you are only applying for health care for yourself, the online application will not ask you for income and tax information once you answer “yes” to the question. But if you decide to apply online through Covered California you will need to give more information about yourself than you need to give if you apply through the county using the MC 250A form.

OPTION 2: Through the County

Most counties have a specific office, phone number, or staff to help you enroll in the Medi-Cal program for former foster youth. Read our enrollment tips below and be sure to check out our information on the best way to apply for Medi-Cal coverage in YOUR COUNTY.

NOTE: If you leave foster care at age 18 or older after January 1, 2014, you do not need to reapply for Medi-Cal coverage. You will be automatically moved into the Medi-Cal program for former foster youth when you leave care. You can contact your Medi-Cal worker or county social service office to make sure you are in the Medi-Cal program for former foster youth.

Enrollment Tips through the county:

Be sure to say you are a former foster youth when you go to sign up.

Be sure to say if you were in foster care in another state so that the county will know which state to contact to verify that you were in foster care at 18 or older.

You can use a simple, one-page form (called the MC 250A) to sign up. Bring this form with you when you go to sign up or ask for it when you go to your Medi-Cal office. Remember, you can only use this form if you apply through the county directly.

Tips on what to say or do

Here are some tips on what to say or do if a county worker doesn’t know about this Medi-Cal program or if you think the worker is giving you wrong information:

Former foster youth should be enrolled in the Former Foster Youth (FFY) coverage group.
Former foster youth should be assigned the “4M” aid code.
Former foster youth do NOT have to provide income information. This is because former foster youth get Medi-Cal no matter how much money they make.
Former foster youth do NOT have to fill out the full Medi-Cal application. Former foster youth can apply using the one-page MC 250A form.
You DO NOT have to provide proof that you were in foster care at age 18 or older. The county will verify that you were in foster care at age 18 or older.

What’s the best way to sign up in MY COUNTY?

We have gathered information on the best and easiest ways for you to sign up in your county and will keep updating this information as we learn more. Look below for information on the best way to apply in your county.

Not sure which county you live in? Click here to find out.

Don’t see your county listed below? Don’t worry we are working to add information on more counties. In the meantime, you can download our county contact list. If we do not yet have a specific contact in your county, we have listed the main county office where you can go to apply.

Alameda County

Call the Foster Care Eligibility Hotline at (510) 268-2500 to enroll. Marilyn Balderas and Selia Johnson are the Foster Care Program Specialists.

Alpine County

Call Gabriel Chavarin at (530) 694-2235 ext. 224.

Butte County

Call Tami McArthur at (530) 538-5238.

Calaveras County

Call Jennifer Pruden at (209) 754-6670.

Contra Costa County

Call the Children and Family Services Bureau Foster Care Unit at (925) 522-7410.

Del Norte County

Call Melissa Golden at (707) 464-3191 ext. 2622 OR Brittney Webb at (707) 464-3191 ext. 2610.

El Dorado County

Call (530) 642-7300. Say you are a former foster youth and ask to speak with someone in the Foster Care Unit.

Fresno County

Email your completed MC 250A form to Jackie Jeroue at [email protected] or call (559) 600-4023. Crocker Building (1^st Floor)
2135 Fresno Street
Fresno, CA 93721

Humboldt County

Call (877) 410-8809 and say you are a former foster youth.

Imperial County

Contact Cesare Pascual, Program Manager, at (760) 337-7823 or [email protected].
2995 South 4th St. Suite 105
El Centro, CA 92243

Kern County

Former foster youth in Kern County have two convenient options:

Call or visit the Dream Center and Coffee House at (661) 636-4488 or 1801 19th Street, Bakersfield, CA 93301.
Call the Kern County Department of Human Services at (661) 631-6807.

Los Angeles County

Call Dena Russell, DPSS, at (626) 313-5504 or Duy Johnson, DPSS, at (626) 313-5505.

Madera County

Call Marilyn Quick, Eligibility Worker III, at (559) 662-8366 or Nicole Dupree, Eligibility Worker III, at (559) 662-8351.

Mariposa County

Former foster youth in Mariposa County have four convenient options:

Call (209) 966-2000 and ask to speak with an Eligibility Supervisor.
Email a completed MC 250A form to [email protected]
Fax a completed MC 250A form to (209) 966-8251
Apply in person at 5362 Lemee Lane, Mariposa, CA 95338

Mendocino County

Contact Shane Reynolds at (707) 463-7749 or [email protected].

Modoc County

Former foster youth in Modoc County have two convenient options:

Fax your completed MC 250A form to Jennifer Potap at (530) 233-6501.
Apply in-person at the Department of Social Services. Ask for Jennifer Potap. 120 N. Main St., Alturas, CA 96101.

Monterey County

Former foster youth in Monterey County have two convenient options:

Call 1-866-323-1953 to apply by phone.
Apply in-person at 1000 S. Main Street Suite 216, Salinas, CA 93901.

Napa County

Call Michelle Reed at (707) 253-4479.

Nevada County

Call Diane Burns at (530) 265-1669 or Beth Andrews at (530) 265-1646.

Orange County

Former foster youth in Orange County have three convenient options:

Call (714) 704-8382.
Fax your MC 250A form to “Attention: Katherine Macias” at (714) 704-8757.
Apply in-person at the Social Services Agency Foster Care Office, 840 N. Eckhoff Street Orange, CA 92868

Placer County

Call Julia Chao at (530) 886-5219.
You can also apply in-person at any of the following county Medi-Cal offices:

Auburn Office:
Placer County Government Center
11542 B Avenue
Auburn, CA 95603
(530) 889-7610

Rocklin Office:
1000 Sunset Blvd. Suite 220
Rocklin, CA 95765
(916) 784-6000

North Tahoe Office:
5225 North Lake Blvd.
Carnelian Bay, CA 96140
(530) 546-1900

Riverside County

Call the Medi-Cal hotline for current and former foster youth at (951) 358-3544.

Sacramento County

Sacramento County Department of Human Assistance
1725 28th Street
Sacramento, CA 95816
(916) 874-3100 OR (209) 744-0499

If you have problems signing up, call Alisa Young, Assistant Program Specialist Medi-Cal, at (916) 875-3528.

San Bernardino County

Contact or email your completed MC 250A form to Tina Jones-Delair at [email protected]

San Diego County

Call or visit the Family Resource Center closest to you.

Self-Sufficiency Services
Call Cathleen Orr at (619) 346-0177 or Jennifer Fernandez at (619) 372-6285
1255 Imperial Ave. (Go to 2nd Floor for Cathleen. Go to 4th Floor for Jennifer.)
San Diego, CA 92101

Child and Family Well-Being Eligibility
Call Aimee Martinez at (858) 944-6057 or Jennifer McGraw at (858) 944-6060
8965 Balboa Ave.
San Diego, CA 92123

Center City
Call Kimberly Corkran at (619) 643-2751 or Elizabeth Figueroa at (619) 338-2158
1255 Imperial Ave. 5th Floor
San Diego, CA 92101

El Cajon
Call Shawnna George at (619) 849-9303, Veronica Martinez at (619) 458-1210, Jessica Bryant at (619) 430-0998, or Caitlin Glass at (619) 669-8123.
220 S. First Street
El Cajon, CA 92019

Lemon Grove
Call Jacqueline Castleman at (619) 385-3791 or Geraldine Gibbs at (619) 346-8844
7065 Broadway
Lemon Grove, CA 91945

National City
Call Anna Brothers at (619) 481-0762 or Martin Rosario at (619) 385-2337
Live Well Center, 401 Mile of Cars Way, Suite 203
National City, CA 91950

North Central
Call Nereida Hoffman at (619) 372-2164, Midori Roberson at (619) 346-2501, or Erica Riodique at (619) 415-6227
5055 Ruffin Rd.
San Diego, CA 92123

North Coastal
Call Luis Tavares at (442) 266-6736 or Victoria Haskell at (619) 507-6120
3708 Ocean Ranch Blvd.
Oceanside, CA 92056

North Inland
Call Galeen Isip at (619) 433-7034, Jerry Asbury at (760) 738-2471, or Laura Jaime at (619) 507-9203
Live Well Center, 649 W. Mission Ave. #3
Escondido, CA 92025

Northeast
Call Veronica Cruz at (619) 372-6254 or Mariana Edwards at (619) 346-9466
4305 University Ave.
San Diego, CA 92105

South Region
Call Tony Phatsenhann at (619) 409-3295 or Isabel Andrade at (619) 409-3045
690 Oxford St. Suite E
Chula Vista, CA 91910

Southeast
Call Dora Sevilla at (619) 430-0253 or Vera Gonzalez at (619) 226-3848
5101 Market St.
San Diego, CA 92102

San Francisco County

Call Dora Granera, Supervisor, at (415) 355-6823.

San Joaquin County

Call Frank Hernandez, Foster Care Eligibility Supervisor, at (209) 468-2025.

San Luis Obispo County

Call Sandra Jimenez, Foster Care Program Review Specialist, at (805) 781-1891.

San Mateo County

Call Yadira Santillan at (650) 802-5103.
1 Davis Drive
Belmont, CA 94002

Santa Barbara County

Call Vidal Chiprez, Eligibility Supervisor, at (805) 681-4442 OR Blanca Diaz at (805) 346-7271.

Santa Clara County

Former foster youth in Santa Clara County have three convenient options:

Contact Kelly Cavolo at (408) 501-6889 or [email protected].
Meet with County Social Worker Kelly Cavolo at The Hub. The Hub is located at 591 N. King Road, San Jose, CA 95133.
Call the County’s Foster Care Eligibility unit: (408) 271-7400.

Santa Cruz County

Call the Benefits Call Center at (888) 421-8080.

Shasta County

Call Sam Hart at (530) 225-5976.

Siskiyou County

Call Melanie Morra at (530) 841-4821.

Solano County

Call Jackie Coleman, Special Programs Supervisor, at (707) 784-8424

Sonoma County

Family Youth and Children’s Services
1202 Apollo Way,
Santa Rosa, CA 95402
(707) 565-4300

Stanislaus County

Call Noemi Lomas at (209) 558-2825.

Tulare County

Call Rosemary Juarez, Foster Care Supervisor, at (559) 623-0358.

Ventura County

Contact the county and say you are a former foster youth.
County of Ventura Human Services Agency
855 Partridge Drive.
Ventura, CA 93003
(888) 472-4463

Yolo County

Call Katya Lopez-Arreola at (530) 661-2787 OR email her at [email protected]
Department of Employment and Social Services
25 North Cottonwood St
Woodland, CA 95695

Need more help?

Having trouble getting Medi-Cal or other health care services? Click here for a list of legal service providers who might be able to help you.