link to page 1 
January 15, 2019
John H. Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition
to Adulthood
Background
Education Act (HEA). HEA defines cost of attendance as
Children enter foster care after experiencing abuse or
the costs for tuition, fees, books, supplies, and an allowance
neglect, or due to some other circumstance that prevents
for transportation and child care, among other expenses.
them from safely remaining with their families. In FY2017,
HEA defines institution of higher education to include
about 189,000 teens and young adults spent at least one day
traditional higher education institutions (e.g., public or
in foster care. Of those who left care during that year, more
private nonprofit colleges and universities) as well as other
than 19,000 aged out or were emancipated. Generally this
postsecondary institutions (e.g., technical training programs
means these youth reached a state’s legal age of
and postsecondary vocational schools). Further, the Chafee
adulthood—usually 18, or up to 21 in states that extend
statute directs state child welfare agencies to take steps to
foster care—without having been reunited with their
prevent duplicating benefits under the ETV program and
families or placed in new permanent families.
other federal programs.
The John H. Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful
Youth are eligible to receive ETVs for as many as five
Transition to Adulthood (Chafee program) provides funds
years (up to age 26) so long as they are making satisfactory
to states, territories, and Indian tribal entities (states) with
progress toward completion of their education program and
material and other supports for current and former foster
regardless of whether they attend in consecutive years.
youth. The Chafee program is authorized under Title IV-E,
Youth may attend on either a full-time or part-time basis.
Section 477 of the Social Security Act (SSA). The U.S.
Between 16,514 and 17,100 youth have received a voucher
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS),
in each year from 2011 to 2014.
Administration for Children and Families (ACF)
administers the Chafee program. Formerly known as the
Eligibility
John H. Chafee Foster Care Independence Program, it was
The Chafee statute’s purpose areas outline eligibility for the
established by the Foster Care Independence Act of 1999
program. HHS has also provided additional guidance on
(P.L. 106-169), and succeeded a similar program that was
eligibility. (See Table 1.) Generally, the program is
established in 1985. The Chafee statute has been amended
available to current and former foster youth between the
five times, notably in the early 2000s to include the Chafee
ages of 14 and 21, or up to age 23 in states that extend
Education and Training Voucher (ETV) program and in
foster care to age 21. The law also specifies that supports
2018 (Title VII, Division E of P.L. 115-123) to focus
under the program are to be made available to Indian
supports more clearly on youth who spend time in foster
children on the same basis as other children. As noted,
care at age 14 or older without regard to whether they
Chafee-eligible youth may receive ETVs until age 26.
ultimately age out of care.
Table 1. Eligibility for the Chafee Program
Supports
States may use Chafee funding to provide supports listed in
Eligibility Categories
the authorizing law. These may consist of educational
Children and youth in foster care between ages 14-21.
assistance, career exploration, mentoring, and preventive
Youth who aged out of foster care and are between18-21
health activities, among other services. States can dedicate
(or up to 23 in states that extend foster care to 21).
as much as 30% of their program funding toward room or
Children and youth who left foster care at 16 or older
board for youth ages 18 to 21 (and up to age 23 in states
for kinship guardianship or adoption, until they reach 21
that have extended foster care to age 21 using federal, state,
(or up to 23 in states that extend foster care to 21).
or other funds, as determined by the HHS Secretary). This
Children and youth who had been in foster care between
includes room or board for youth who attend institutions of
14-21 and left foster care for some other reason besides
higher education. Room or board is not defined in statute
aging out of foster care, kinship guardianship, or
but typically includes food and shelter, and may include
adoption.
deposits, startup costs, rent, and utilities.
Children likely to remain in care until 18, pertaining to
Education and Training Voucher Program
the Chafee purpose area of providing “regular, ongoing
opportunities to engage in age or developmentally-
The Chafee statute includes a separate authorization and
appropriate activities.”
funding authority for the ETV program. States may use
ETV funding to provide a voucher—worth up to $5,000
Source: Section 477(a) of the Social Security Act and HHS guidance.
each year or the cost of attendance (whichever is less)—for
a Chafee-eligible youth to attend an institution of higher
education, as these terms are defined by the Higher
https://crsreports.congress.gov
link to page 2 John H. Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood
NYTD
according to the program purposes. The law directs HHS to
The National Youth in Transition Database (NYTD), which
distribute any such funds based on the relative share of
became operational in 2011, seeks to capture the
children in care in each state that applies successfully.
characteristics and experiences of certain current and
former foster youth across the country. States reported via
Evaluation Activities
NYTD that between 97,000 and 112,000 youth annually
The Chafee statute directs HHS to reserve a portion of the
received a supportive service to assist them in their
program funding to conduct evaluations of Chafee-funded
transition to adulthood in each of FY2011-FY2016. These
programs deemed to be “innovative or of national
services may have been provided with Chafee dollars or
significance.” HHS conducted an evaluation of three
other public or private funds. In addition to these served
promising local child welfare programs in California and
youth, states report on follow-up youth—individuals the
Massachusetts. The evaluation randomly assigned foster
states track over time to assess their outcomes. Young
youth into treatment or control groups. HHS found that one
people are surveyed at 17 when they are in care, 19 when
of the three programs had positive findings. The program
they may or may not be in care, and 21 when they are no
features a social worker with a small caseload who
longer in care. HHS most recently reported on youth who
advocates for the needs of foster youth in Massachusetts.
completed the survey in FY2011, FY2013, and FY2015. Of
The evaluation found that youth in this program were more
these youth, 43% reported having a homeless experience at
likely than the control group to report having ever enrolled
some point in their lives and 26% had experienced
in college, and they were more likely to stay enrolled. They
homelessness between ages 19 and 21.
were also more likely to experience outcomes that were not
a focus of the evaluation, such as remaining in foster care.
The Chafee statute requires that HHS submit a report to
Citing the lack of experimental research in child welfare,
Congress by October 1, 2019, that uses NYTD and other
the Chafee research team is examining various models in
relevant databases to examine the experiences of current
other policy areas that could be used to better understand
and former foster youth. For example, the report must
promising approaches of working with older youth in care
include an analysis of the outcomes of youth who remain in
and those transitioning from care.
care at age 17 compared to those who left before age 17.
Related Federal Programs and Policies
Funding
Other federal child welfare law supports older children and
The statute provides $140 million annually in mandatory
youth in care. The federal foster care program, authorized
funding for the Chafee program, which is to increase to
under Title IV-E of the SSA, provides partial
$143 million in FY2020. ETV funding is discretionary, and
reimbursement to states to extend foster care up to age 21.
the statute authorizes up to $60 million annually. FY2019
Half of all states, the District of Columbia, and eight tribes
funding for the ETV program is $43.3 million. To receive
have done so. The federal foster care program includes
funds, a state must submit a five-year plan (and annual plan
certain protections for older children and youth (e.g., they
updates) to HHS that describes how it intends to carry out
have a written case plan intended to be a roadmap for a
its Chafee-funded program and affirms that it meets the
successful transition to adulthood). Other federal support is
law’s requirements (e.g., the state coordinates the program
also available (see Table 2).
with other youth programs).
Table 2. Related Programs Outside of Child Welfare
Funds are allocated to states based on their relative share of
Program
Support
children in foster care and to eligible tribes (out of a state’s
allotment) based on the share of tribal children in foster
Medicaid
Former foster youth who aged out of foster care
care in the state. The Chafee statute includes a hold
are eligible for a mandatory Medicaid pathway
harmless clause that precludes any state from receiving less
until age 26 without regard to income.
than the amount of funds it received in FY1998 under the
Youth
These programs provide job training to low-
predecessor program to Chafee or $500,000, whichever is
Activities and income individuals, including current and former
greater. Currently, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands
Job Corps
foster children and youth ages 14-24 (Youth
are the only territories receiving funds. States must provide
Programs
Activities) or 16-24 (Job Corps).
a 20% cash or in-kind match to receive their full federal
Higher
Financial aid applicants who were in foster care
Chafee and ETV allotments. Further, states may use funds
Education Act at age 13 or older are considered independent
only to supplement, and not supplant, any other funds that
(HEA) Policies when applying for federal financial aid. Current
are available for activities authorized in the program.
and Programs and former foster children and youth are also
eligible for the TRIO programs to support
States must annually request to receive their allotments and
enrol ing and persisting in higher education.
must spend the funding in a two-year period, either the
Family
Youth who age out of foster care are eligible,
fiscal year it is received or in the succeeding fiscal year. If a
Unification
until age 24, for housing subsidy vouchers for up
state does not apply for its full allotment, the funds are
Vouchers
to 36 months if they are homeless or at risk of
reallocated by HHS to one or more other states on the basis
(FUP)
homelessness.
of their relative need for such additional allotments (as
determined by HHS). Further, recent changes to Chafee
permit HHS to redistribute funds not used within the two-
Adrienne L. Fernandes-Alcantara, Specialist in Social
year period among states that apply for them, provided
Policy
HHS determines these jurisdictions would use the funds
IF11070
https://crsreports.congress.gov
John H. Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood
Disclaimer
This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS serves as nonpartisan shared staff to
congressional committees and Members of Congress. It operates solely at the behest of and under the direction of Congress.
Information in a CRS Report should not be relied upon for purposes other than public understanding of information that has
been provided by CRS to Members of Congress in connection with CRS’s institutional role. CRS Reports, as a work of the
United States Government, are not subject to copyright protection in the United States. Any CRS Report may be
reproduced and distributed in its entirety without permission from CRS. However, as a CRS Report may include
copyrighted images or material from a third party, you may need to obtain the permission of the copyright holder if you
wish to copy or otherwise use copyrighted material.
https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF11070 · VERSION 2 · NEW