Current State
Current State of Supports for Youth Exiting the Child Welfare System
The John H. Chafee Foster Care Independence Program, offers dedicated resources to older youth in the child welfare system and those who have transitioned out of the system. These resources include life skills supports, education and employment vouchers, housing supports, and other supportive services but have been underfunded for decades. This has left states and counties with limited funds to address the education, employment, housing, and well-being needs of older youth involved in the child welfare system and who have aged out of the system.
Older youth in the system have some of the highest rates of multiple foster home placements, continually upending their education and sense of belonging. There is still an over-dependence on group homes and congregate care as described in Action 2. And there is often a lack of ability to move older youth to permanent homes with family, with too few resources focused on locating and supporting families for older youth.
Young people who experience the current child welfare system in any way, foster care, guardianship, kinship care, or adoptions have a greater risk of experiencing homelessness. However, many transition services are only offered to youth who were in foster care, leaving many young people who experienced the system without support through early adulthood.
Housing, education, and employment supports are limited and vary from state to state. While housing voucher and higher education support programs have assisted youth in some states, there are still far too few of the resources to meet the need and far too many eligibility requirements to remain on the assistance.