John H. Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood

John H. Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood

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Updated March 13, 2024
John H. Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition
to Adulthood
Children are removed from families and placed into foster
Table 1. Chafee Program Federal Eligibility Criteria
care due to incidents of abuse, neglect, or other family
crisis. In FY2021, about 147,000 young people ages 14 or
Federal Eligibility Categories
older spent at least one day in foster care. More than 19,000
•
Children and youth in foster care at age 14 or older.
young people emancipated (or aged out) in FY2021,
•
Youth who aged out of foster care and are ages 18-21
meaning they reached the state legal age of adulthood or
(or until 23 in states that extend foster care to 21).
end of foster care—typically age 18 or an older age, up to
•
Children and youth who exited foster care at age 16 or
21, if the state extends care—without having been reunited
older for kinship guardianship or adoption, until they
with family or placed in a new permanent family.
reach age 21 (or 23 in states that extend care to 21).
•
Children and youth who had been in foster care at age 14
The John H. Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful
or older and exited foster care for a reason besides aging
Transition to Adulthood (hereinafter, “Chafee program”)
out, kinship guardianship, or adoption, until they reach
provides funds to states, territories, and Indian tribal entities
age 21 (or 23 in states that extend foster care to 21).
(hereinafter, “states”) to address poor education,
•
employment, and other outcomes experienced by many

Children likely to remain in foster care until age 18,
pertaining to the Chafee purpose area of providing
such young people as they transition to adulthood. The
“regular, ongoing opportunities to engage in age or
Chafee program is authorized under Title IV-E, Section 477
developmentally-appropriate activities.”
of the Social Security Act (SSA). The U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for
Source: Section 477(a) of the Social Security Act and HHS guidance.
Children and Families (ACF) administers the Chafee
program. Formerly known as the John H. Chafee Foster
Young people are eligible to receive ETVs for as many as
Care Independence Program, it was established by the
five years (until age 26) so long as they are making
Foster Care Independence Act of 1999 (P.L. 106-169), and
satisfactory progress toward completing their education,
succeeded a similar program created in 1985. The Chafee
and regardless of whether they attend in consecutive years.
statute has been amended five times, most recently in 2018
Youth may attend on either a full-time or part-time basis.
(Title VII, Division E of P.L. 115-123) to expand eligibility
States have considerable flexibility in implementing the
to more children and youth.
ETV program (e.g., adding extra eligibility or application
requirements). The Chafee statute directs state child welfare
Supports
agencies to take steps to prevent duplicating benefits under
The Chafee program provides states with flexible funding
the ETV program and other federal programs.
for the purpose of helping young people who experienced
foster care at age 14 or older (see Table 1). States have
Funding
considerable discretion in administering the program, but
The Chafee statute authorizes $143 million annually in
they are expected to provide an extensive range of supports
mandatory funding for the general Chafee program. ETV
and services, such as educational assistance, career services,
funding is authorized separately on a discretionary basis at
life skills training, and preventive health activities. States
up to $60 million annually, though the appropriated amount
may dedicate as much as 30% of their funding toward room
has generally been less (e.g., about $44 million in FY2023).
or board for youth ages 18 to 21 (or until age 23 in states
The Supporting Foster Youth and Families through the
that have extended foster care). This includes room or board
Pandemic Act (enacted as Division X of P.L. 116-260)
for youth pursuing higher education.
provided program flexibilities and an additional $400
million for the Chafee program in FY2021, $50 million of
Education and Training Voucher (ETV) Program
which was to be used for the purposes of the ETV program.
The Chafee statute includes a separate authorization for the
ETV program. States may use ETV funding to provide a
To receive funds, a state must submit a five-year plan (and
voucher—worth up to $5,000 each year or the cost of
annual plan updates) to HHS that describes how it intends
attendance (whichever is less)—for a Chafee-eligible youth
to carry out its Chafee-funded program and affirms that it
to attend an institution of higher education, as these terms
meets the law’s requirements. The Chafee statute authorizes
are defined by the Higher Education Act (HEA). HEA
tribal entities with an approved Title IV-E plan to similarly
defines cost of attendance as the costs for tuition, fees,
apply for funding. As of FY2023, the 50 states, the District
books, supplies, transportation, room and board, and child
of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and
care, among other expenses. HEA defines institution of
seven tribes were receiving Chafee or ETV funds.
higher education to include many public or nonprofit, for-
profit, and vocational institutions of higher education.
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John H. Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood
Chafee and ETV state grants are allocated via a funding
study of the ETV program in 10 states found that nearly
formula, based on states’ relative share of children in foster
two-thirds of those eligible for ETV and enrolled in college
care. Grants are allocated to eligible tribes (out of a state’s
were not awarded or did not use a voucher. Students with
allotment) based on the share of tribal children in foster
foster care history had significant unmet educational
care in the state. The Chafee statute includes a hold
assistance need relative to other students.
harmless clause that precludes any state from receiving less
in general Chafee funds than the amount it received in
Current and former foster youth continue to experience
FY1998 under the predecessor program to Chafee or
vulnerable outcomes. For example, one analysis found that
$500,000, whichever is greater. States must provide a 20%
79% of follow-up youth aged 21 in FY2021 reported
non-federal cash or in-kind match to receive their full
having a high school diploma, GED, or higher certification,
federal Chafee and ETV allotments. Further, states may use
compared to an estimated rate of 92% among their general
funds only to supplement, and not supplant, any other funds
population peers. An estimated one-fourth (24%) of these
that are available for activities authorized in the program.
follow-up youth were enrolled in postsecondary education
or training and 55% were currently employed, compared to
States must annually request to receive their allotments and
rates among their peers of 50% and 64%, respectively.
must spend the funding in a two-year period, either the
More than one-fourth of these follow-up youth were parents
fiscal year it is received or in the succeeding fiscal year. If a
(26%), and about a third (35%) had ever been incarcerated.
state does not apply for its full allotment, HHS allocates the
funds to one or more other states on the basis of relative
The Chafee statute also directs HHS to reserve a portion of
need for such additional allotments (as determined by
the program funding to conduct evaluations of Chafee-
HHS). Further, HHS may redistribute funds not used within
funded activities deemed to be “innovative or of potential
the two-year period to states that apply for such funds,
national significance.” HHS has sponsored evaluations, but
provided HHS determines the states would use the funds
evidence on the effectiveness of programs for the Chafee-
consistent with the program purposes. HHS must distribute
eligible population remains limited. HHS is exploring new
any such funds to states based on their relative share of all
approaches to testing promising programs, services, and
children in care across the states that successfully apply for
practices for young people transitioning out of foster care.
the funds. From FY2017 to FY2021, a number of states did
not use a combined total of between 3.1% and 6.6% of the
Recent Policy Changes and Proposals
regular Chafee and ETV allotments per year. Most of this
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Division X (P.L. 116-
initially unused funding was subsequently redistributed to
260) increased funding and provided temporary (since
other states to be used for Chafee or ETV purposes.
expired) flexibilities for the Chafee and ETV programs,
including increasing federal maximum eligibility until age
Performance Measurement and
27. The law also allowed states to use more than 30% of
Evaluation
their Chafee funds to provide room or board for any eligible
In response to a Chafee statute requirement, HHS
youth ages 18-27 (rather than only those who have
established the National Youth in Transition Database
emancipated); permitted funds to be used to assist current
(NYTD) to capture the characteristics, service receipt, and
and former foster youth ages 15-27 with driving and
outcomes of certain current and former foster youth. States
transportation-related costs; and altered the requirements
have reported to NYTD since FY2011 on the number of
around eligibility, use of funds, and the maximum annual
youth who annually receive a service to assist them in their
voucher value ($12,000) under the ETV program. HHS
transition to adulthood (funded by Chafee or other means).
guidance encouraged states to allow for direct financial
In addition to these served youth, states report on
support to eligible young people (e.g., cash payments).
individuals whose outcomes are tracked over time. Young
people are surveyed at about age 17 when they are in care
Proposals to make similar types of flexibilities permanent
(baseline youth), and at about ages 19 and 21 when they
under the Chafee and ETV programs have been included in
may or may not be in care (follow-up youth). HHS has also
legislation introduced in recent Congresses or Biden
published other data and reports on Chafee-related matters.
Administration budget requests. Other issues of recurring
interest for the Chafee Act that have also received more
States provided transitional services to more than 103,000
recent congressional consideration (e.g., in hearings)
young people ages 14-26 in FY2022. About two-thirds of
include mentoring, youth input, employment services, and
served youth were in foster care, and half received either
particularly at-risk subgroups such as young parents.
one or two services. The prevalence with which young
Policymakers have also relied on many other programs, in
people reportedly receive certain services varies by their
addition to Chafee, in proposals to improve the experiences
age, state, and other factors. In recent years, the prevalence
and outcomes of current and former foster youth.
of receiving room and board or other financial assistance
has increased while receipt of most other services has
For further information about the Chafee program and
declined. One analysis estimates that less than a quarter of
other supports for former foster youth, see CRS Reports
eligible youth ages 14-21 received transition services in
RL34499, R46734, and IF11010.
FY2021, and just under half ever received transition
services from ages 14-21.
Patrick A. Landers, Analyst in Social Policy
Between approximately 14,000 and 17,000 youth have
IF11070
received an ETV per year from 2011 to 2020. A recent
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John H. Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood

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