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42 U.S. Code § 677. John H. Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood
(a) PurposeThe purpose of this section is to provide States with flexible funding that will enable programs to be designed and conducted—
(1)
to support all youth who have experienced foster care at age 14 or older in their transition to adulthood through transitional services such as assistance in obtaining a high school diploma and post-secondary education, career exploration, vocational training, job placement and retention, training and opportunities to practice daily living skills (such as financial literacy training and driving instruction), substance abuse prevention, and preventive health activities (including smoking avoidance, nutrition education, and pregnancy prevention);
(2)
to help children who have experienced foster care at age 14 or older achieve meaningful, permanent connections with a caring adult;
(3)
to help children who have experienced foster care at age 14 or older engage in age or developmentally appropriate activities, positive youth development, and experiential learning that reflects what their peers in intact families experience;
(4)
to provide financial, housing, counseling, employment, education, and other appropriate support and services to former foster care recipients between 18 and 21 years of age (or 23 years of age, in the case of a State with a certification under subsection (b)(3)(A)(ii) to provide assistance and services to youths who have aged out of foster care and have not attained such age, in accordance with such subsection) to complement their own efforts to achieve self-sufficiency and to assure that program participants recognize and accept their personal responsibility for preparing for and then making the transition from adolescence to adulthood;
(5)
to make available vouchers for education and training, including postsecondary training and education, to youths who have aged out of foster care;
(6)
to provide the services referred to in this subsection to children who, after attaining 16 years of age, have left foster care for kinship guardianship or adoption; and
(7)
to ensure children who are likely to remain in foster care until 18 years of age have regular, ongoing opportunities to engage in age or developmentally-appropriate activities as defined in section 675(11) of this title.
(b) Applications
(1) In general
A State may apply for funds from its allotment under subsection (c) for a period of five consecutive fiscal years by submitting to the Secretary, in writing, a plan that meets the requirements of paragraph (2) and the certifications required by paragraph (3) with respect to the plan.
(2) State planA plan meets the requirements of this paragraph if the plan specifies which State agency or agencies will administer, supervise, or oversee the programs carried out under the plan, and describes how the State intends to do the following:
(A)
Design and deliver programs to achieve the purposes of this section.
(B)
Ensure that all political subdivisions in the State are served by the program, though not necessarily in a uniform manner.
(C)
Ensure that the programs serve children of various ages and at various stages of achieving independence.
(D)
Involve the public and private sectors in helping youth in foster care achieve independence.
(E)
Use objective criteria for determining eligibility for benefits and services under the programs, and for ensuring fair and equitable treatment of benefit recipients.
(F)
Cooperate in national evaluations of the effects of the programs in achieving the purposes of this section.