From Roundtable to Results: Bean, Ways and Means Advance Bipartisan Foster Youth Legislation

WASHINGTON-U.S. Congressman Aaron Bean (FL-04) joined his colleagues on the Ways and Means Committee in advancing six bipartisan bills to modernize the John H. Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood (Chafee). These bills are part of a national effort to ensure every young person aging out of foster care has the tools to build a strong and independent future.

Earlier this month, the Ways and Means Committee convened a bipartisan roundtable with the First Lady and former foster youth leaders to hear directly about the challenges young people face as they transition out of the foster care system. The discussion underscored the urgent need to move beyond awareness and take meaningful legislative action.

Upon committee passage, Congressman Bean said, "After hearing directly from foster youth and advocates, it was clear we needed action, not just conversation. The future of our nation rests with our children, and we have a responsibility to invest in their success. These bipartisan bills modernize the Chafee program and help ensure young people leaving foster care have the support, stability, and opportunity they need to reach their full potential."

The following Ways and Means legislation was passed with unanimous, bipartisan support and now heads to the House floor:

Foster Youth Housing Opportunity Act (H.R. 7432)

• Improves access to housing for youth aging out of foster care, and former foster youth, by strengthening coordination between Chafee and the Foster Youth to Independence (FYI) housing voucher program administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, by:
  • Aligning the age eligibility between programs, ensuring youth can receive Chafee-funded supportive services for the full duration of the voucher.
  • Updating the existing 30 percent cap on room and board to exclude housing supportive services for youth with FYI vouchers, and allowing the cap to be based on a rolling average over five years; and
  • Requiring joint federal guidance to clarify rules and coordination of services between state child welfare agencies and local public housing authorities administering FYI vouchers.

Foster Youth Postsecondary Education Access and Success Act (H.R. 7463)

• Increases the individual education and training voucher (ETV) cap from $5,000 to $12,000 per student annually, while maintaining current funding levels for ETVs.
• Permits states to establish a grace period for youth to demonstrate satisfactory progress toward completion of a program, after an assessment and consultation with the youth.
• Requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop a user-friendly, electronic, standard application form for ETVs, and requires states to make reasonable efforts to inform youth about the program to improve awareness and streamline access.

Foster Youth Workforce Opportunity Act (H.R. 7343)

• Expands use of Chafee ETVs to include short-term workforce and vocational training and credentialing programs.
• Expands ETVs to cover the costs of apprenticeships, GEDs, and remedial education, and provides one additional year of eligibility if used for remedial education.

Fresh Starts for Foster Youth Act (H.R. 7529)

• Improves access to legal services for youth and ensures states have processes in place to take into consideration legal issues impacting foster youth, such as housing, education, employment entry, and family conditions, as part of case planning in their transition to adulthood.

Support for Expectant and Parenting Foster Youth Act (H.R. 7655)

• Improves access to home visiting services offered through the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program for youth in foster care who are expecting or parenting.
• MIECHV is an evidence-based program that has demonstrated results in improving maternal and infant health outcomes and supporting early childhood development.
• Permits states to use Chafee funds to provide specialized case management to expectant and parenting youth.

Chafee Opportunities for New Networks and Existing Connection Trust (CONNECT) Act (H.R. 7995)

• Updates the purposes section of the Chafee program to reflect the importance of establishing meaningful connections with adults and other lifelong support networks.
• Adds a new purpose to clarify that Chafee funds may be used to help foster youth engage in their own permanency process and planning for independence.
• Requires HHS to issue guidance, in consultation with youth with foster care lived experience, regarding implementation of the new purposes, including best practices, outreach, and protocols for documenting supports for youth.

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