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

The John H. Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood (the Chafee program) provides funding to support youth/ young adults in or formerly in foster care in their transition to adulthood. The program is funded through formula grants awarded to child welfare agencies in States (including the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands) and participating Tribes. The program is funded at $143 million a year.

Chafee funds are used to assist youth/ young adults in a wide variety of areas designed to support a successful transition to adulthood. Activities and programs include, but are not limited to, help with education, employment, financial management, housing, emotional support and assured connections to caring adults. Specific services and supports are determined by the child welfare agency, vary by State, locality and agency, and are often based on the individual needs of the young person. Many State or local agencies contract with private organizations to deliver services to young people.

Eligibility for the program, as outlined in federal law, includes:

States and Tribes may have additional requirements for eligibility.  State and Tribal agencies may elect to serve young adults up to age 23 only if the agencies also offers foster care to young people up to age 21. The following states have opted to provide Chafee services to young people up to age 23: Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

The Chafee program has an additional appropriation of approximately $43 million annually for the Educational and Training Vouchers (ETV) Program. The ETV program provides financial resources to meet the post-secondary education and training needs of young adults who have experienced foster care after age 14. The program provides formula grants to States and participating Tribes to help young people pay for post-secondary educational and training.  Under federal program requirements, agencies may award a voucher of up to $5,000 per year per young person to cover the unmet needs of the student’s cost of attendance at a post-secondary institution. The program can provide assistance to young people up to age 26, but an individual may receive a voucher for no more than a total of 5 years.

States receiving Chafee funding are required to submit data to the National Youth in Transition Database (NYTD).  NYTD data are used to learn more about services provided to and outcomes experienced by youth transitioning out of foster care. For more information on NYTD, visit the Children's Bureau NYTD webpage.

If you or someone you know may be eligible for Chafee services and/or the ETV program, please contact your local child welfare agency or state program manager.

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