Bipartisan House bills aim to modernize the Chafee Program for foster youth

Key Takeaways

Read NACo's Letter of Support

May 19 Update: The bills were passed unanimously out of the U.S. House of Representatives as the Fostering the Future Act (H.R. 7432)

April 29 Update: The bills were passed unanimously out of the House Ways and Means Committee.

As Congress examines potential ways to modernize the John H. Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood (Chafee) and following the launch of the White House Fostering the Future for American Children and Families initiative, members of the U.S. House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Work and Welfare introduced six bipartisan bills aimed at strengthening support for youth transitioning out of foster care.

The proposed legislation seeks to expand housing access, workforce opportunities and educational support while addressing barriers related to legal services and parenting supports for young people leaving the foster care system. 

The introduced bills include:

• The Foster Youth Housing Opportunity Act (H.R. 7432), introduced by Rep. Darrin LaHood (R-Ill.), which aims to improve housing access for youth leaving foster care by strengthening coordination between the Chafee program and federal Foster Youth to Independence (FYI) housing vouchers. FYI vouchers are administered through local public housing agencies. The bill would provide greater flexibility for states to use Chafee funds for housing-related supportive services, and would modify the existing 30 percent annual cap on “room or board” expenditures by calculating the cap using a five-year rolling average and align Chafee age eligibility with the FYI voucher program.
• The Foster Youth Workforce Opportunity Act (H.R. 7343), introduced by Rep. Max Miller (R-Ohio), which would expand the allowable use of Education and Training Vouchers (ETVs) to include short-term workforce and vocational training programs, apprenticeships and remedial education. Currently, ETVs are primarily used for traditional four-year college programs.
• The Foster Youth Postsecondary Education and Success Act (H.R. 7463) introduced by Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.), which would maintain current funding levels while increasing the maximum ETV award from $5,000 to $12,000 per student annually, as well as to allow states to establish a grace period for students experiencing academic or personal challenges, giving youth time to demonstrate satisfactory progress toward completing their program before losing voucher eligibility.
• The Fresh Starts for Foster Youth Act (H.R. 7529), introduced by Rep. Danny Davis (D- Ill.), which aims to improve access to legal services for youth in foster care by requiring states to certify that their case planning processes consider legal issues that may affect a young person’s transition to adulthood.
• The Support for Expectant and Parenting Foster Youth Act (H.R. 7655), introduced by Rep. Rudy Yakym (R-Ind.), which would expand access to home visiting services through the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program for youth in foster care who are expecting or parenting. 
• The CONNECT Act (H.R. 7995), introduced by Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Wis.), which would expand allowable uses for Chafee funds to support the development of lasting relationships between youth in foster care ages 14 and older and supportive adults and peer networks, as well as to provide foster youth with written information about available services and resources to help them achieve permanency.

What is the county role in foster care?

Counties play a central role in administering child welfare programs and supporting youth transitioning out of foster care. 

On April 6, NACo sent a letter to committee leadership supporting the legislative package and urging its passage. Targeted reforms to the Chafee program could provide counties with greater flexibility and new tools to support youth during the transition to adulthood, particularly in the areas of housing, education and employment. NACo continues to engage with members of Congress to ensure enacted program reforms benefit counties that administer them.

Next Steps

Following unanimous passage out of the House, the package now awaits consideration in the U.S. Senate. 

NACo continues to work with bipartisan congressional champions and key stakeholders to build support for the package and encourage its passage. As the legislative process moves forward, NACo will advocate for reforms that provide counties with greater flexibility and resources to support youth transitioning from foster care to adulthood.