The John H. Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood (Chafee program, formerly the John H. Chafee Foster Care Independence Program) was created following the passage of the Foster Care Independence Act (FCIA) of 1999 (Public Law 106-169). The program provides assistance to help youth currently and formerly in foster care successfully transition to adulthood by providing grants to States and eligible Tribes that submit an approvable plan. Activities and programs allowable under the Chafee program include help with education, employment financial management, housing, emotional support, and assured connections to caring adults for older youth in foster care.
Education and Training Voucher (ETV) Program
The Educational and Training Vouchers Program (ETV) for Youths Aging out of Foster Care was added to the CFCIP in 2002. ETV provides resources specifically to meet the education and training needs of youth aging out of foster care. This program makes available vouchers of up to $5,000 per year per youth for post secondary education and training for eligible youth.
Colorado's ETV and other financial assistance is provided through the Colorado Department of Higher Education and additional information can be found through their website.
National Youth in Transition Database (NYTD)
Public Law 106-169 established the John H. Chafee Foster Care Independence Program (otherwise known as Chafee) at section 477 of the Social Security Act. The law also requires the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) to create a data collection system to track the services that have been provided to the youth for that purpose as well as the outcomes that those youth experience. The ACF created the National Youth in Transition Database (NYTD) for this purpose and started collecting data on October 1, 2010.
States survey youth on six main outcomes: financial self-sufficiency, experience with homelessness, educational attainment, positive connections with adults, high-risk behavior, and access to health insurance. The baseline survey is conducted with those youth who have their 17th birthday while they are in foster care. These same youth then complete follow-up surveys at age nineteen (19) and twenty-one (21). Depending on the size of the states foster care population some states may opt in to random sample of the baseline population for the follow-up surveys.
Pursuant to the regulation, states began collecting data for NYTD on Oct. 1, 2010, and report data to ACF semiannually.
Resources and information
Chafee information and resources
Education and Training Voucher (ETV) information and academic support
National Youth in Transition Database (NYTD) information and data