Following passage by the U.S. House of Representatives on May 19, the U.S. Senate is now considering a comprehensive bipartisan bill sponsored by U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood (R-IL) to support America’s foster youth aging out of the child welfare system.
“This bipartisan legislation ensures that federal resources make it to those that need them most, and expands access to education, housing, and workforce training for foster youth to assist in their transition to adulthood,” Rep. LaHood said on Tuesday. “I thank my colleagues in the House for supporting this legislation, and I look forward to continuing my work to uplift and support the most vulnerable among us.”
The congressman on Feb. 9 introduced the Fostering the Future Act, H.R. 7432, alongside lead original cosponsor U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore (D-WI) to modernize the John H. Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood program, which supports current and former foster youth, age 14 to 21, transitioning to independence and adulthood.
Included in the legislation are six initiatives led by a bipartisan coalition of U.S. House Ways and Means Committee members to improve state utilization of Chafee funds, strengthen coordination between child welfare agencies and federal housing programs, expand access to educational support and workforce training opportunities, enhance supports for foster youth who are parents or soon-to-be parents, expand access to legal services, and prioritize supportive networks and permanency for foster youth, according to a bill summary provided by the congressman’s office.
“This historic effort to modernize America’s foster care system would have never been possible were it not for the dedicated leadership of members of the Ways and Means Committee who reached across the aisle and built a groundswell of bipartisan support for reform,” said Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R-MO). “Momentum continues to build toward significant improvements in how we address the unique challenges facing foster youth transitioning to adulthood.”
Among numerous provisions, H.R. 7432 also would strengthen alignment with federal housing programs, such as the Foster Youth to Independence housing voucher, and expand Education and Training Vouchers (ETVs) for short-term workforce training programs, costs associated with earning a high school diploma, apprenticeships, or remedial education.
Additionally, the bill would increase the maximum ETV cap from $5,000 to $12,000 while maintaining current funding levels and provide greater educational support for foster youth, the summary says.
H.R. 7432 also would expand access to legal services for foster youth and connect parenting foster youth with evidence-based Maternal Infant Early Childhood Home Visiting services.
The bill was approved by the House with unanimous consent and since advancing to the Senate on May 20 has been referred for consideration to the U.S. Senate Finance Committee.