Ways and Means Committee Advances Congresswoman Moore’s Foster Youth Legislation

Ways and Means Committee Advances Congresswoman Moore's Foster Youth Legislation

Yesterday, the House Ways and Means Committee approved the Foster Youth Housing Opportunity Act. Introduced with Rep. Darin LaHood (R-IL), this bipartisan legislation makes housing more accessible for foster youth by supporting better coordination between states and local services for housing vouchers, among other provisions.

The Committee also approved Congresswoman Moore's CONNECT Act, which directs the Chafee program to focus on helping foster youth develop healthy, supportive relationships with adults and highlights the role that supportive relationships can play in helping individuals succeed.

"Too many foster youth leave the system without adequate support and struggle with housing instability and homelessness. As I often say, you don't magically become an adult at age 18. We shouldn't expect this of foster youth. Serving as co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth, I'm working to ensure that youth leaving the foster care system have a safe, secure place to call home, so they can lead successful lives as adults. My legislation would give states the much-needed flexibility to help foster youth pay for security deposits and utility connection fees, among other critical supports,"

My bill, the CONNECT Act, helps foster youth build a network of support. These positive relationships are critical to the wellbeing of young people, especially foster youth." said Congresswoman Moore.

Background:

• Research shows that up to 46 percent of youth exiting foster care experience homelessness by age 26. Lack of stable housing is one of the biggest barriers to adulthood for transition-age foster youth.
• The Foster Youth Housing Act clarifies that the John H. Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood (Chafee) is intended to support access to housing for youth age 18 or older by strengthening coordination between federal housing and child welfare programs and providing greater flexibility for housing funds under the Chafee Program.

Watch her remarks during Ways and Means Committee markup here.