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Continued State Flexibility to Assist Older Foster Youth Act. Updated November 2, 2021.
CRS Insight; IN11785
Congressional Research Service.
Federal Publication/Policy
Briefing Materials
4 p.
Public Domain
Published: November 2, 2021
Download: https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IN/IN11785
This federal report explains on October 27, 2021, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Continued State Flexibility to Assist Older Foster Youth Act, a bill that would extend certain temporary flexibilities granted to States under the Supporting Foster Youth and Families Through the Pandemic Act. The bill has been referred to the Senate where a companion bill was introduced. The bill would reinstate, through Fiscal Year 2022, flexibilities provided and permit: youth who were formerly in foster care (generally at age 14 or older) to be eligible for John H. Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood (Chafee) program services up to age 27 (as opposed to 21 under current law or 23 in some States); States to spend as much of their Chafee allotment on housing as they choose; a Chafee education or training voucher (ETV) to be used to enable youth to remain enrolled in postsecondary school or training even if the expenses would not normally be considered a cost of attendance (current law limits use of ETVs to items defined in Section 472 of the Higher Education Act as for the cost of attendance); and youth participating in the ETV program to continue to receive a voucher even if they are unable due to the COVID-19 pandemic to remain enrolled in postsecondary education or training, or to make satisfactory progress toward completing that education/training (flexibility available through December 31, 2021 only). Additional proposed provisions are explained for maintaining youth in foster care, and funds used to date are discussed.
Keywords:
Foster adolescents; Foster care; Federal programs; Financial assistance; COVID-19; Federal disaster response