3/23/2020
During this challenging time of adjustment and response to COVID – 19, we encourage you all to use this community to share challenges or successes in shifting practices to support the needs of the children, youth and families in your care.
You may ask your peers questions and respond here directly through the listerv email. If you need further instruction about how to use the listserv, please feel free to reach out to Chris King with the Center for States at Chris.King@icf.com.
You can also access information on COVID-19 Resources from the Children’s Bureau from the Child Welfare Information Gateway.
Falen L. LeBlanc | MSW
Consultant with the Capacity Building Center for States
Follow up message on using Chafee funds to assist youth affected by college closures
3/16/2020
A message on behalf of Gail Collins, Administration for Children and Families
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Dear Child Welfare Leaders:
Yesterday the Children’s Bureau sent out a message urging child welfare professionals to be proactive in reaching out to and assisting young people currently or formerly in foster care who are in college and are being affected by college campus and dorm closings. Since then, the Children’s Bureau has heard from some states seeking clarification on whether Chafee funds may be used for housing expenses for youth who also receive an Education and Training Voucher (ETV). In response, we are providing the following clarification.
Question: If a youth is enrolled in a college or university, but is not currently using ETV funds for room and board because the institution is closed due to an emergency and the housing built into the cost of attendance is not available, can Chafee funds be used for housing for these youth?
Answer: Yes. If ETV is not being used for housing due to an emergency closure of the college or university, the youth would be eligible for Chafee funds for emergency housing not provided by the college or university. While agencies cannot use Chafee funding to supplement what ETV provides, it can be used for different housing.
While Section 3.5 Question #3 of the Child Welfare Policy Manual indicates that appropriations law precludes the use of general Chafee funds to supplement the $5,000 ETV per-year ceiling, that is not what is occurring in this situation. Because the ETV appropriation that would have been used for room and board has been voided by the institution, leaving the youth without housing, the specific ETV appropriation is not being used for housing the youth, and therefore, general Chafee funds may be used for other housing. Chafee funds are still subject to the section 477(b)(3)(A) and (B) of the Social Security Act, which states that no more than 30 percent of federal funds from the allotted amount can be used for room or board (See CWPM 3.1G Question 2).
CWPM:
3.Question: Since one of the purposes of the Chafee Independent Living program is to provide educational services to former foster care recipients between the ages of 18 and 21 (section 477(a)(5)), can general Chafee funds be used to supplement the $5,000 per-year ceiling for a youth in the Chafee Educational and Training Voucher (ETV) program?
Answer: No. Appropriations law precludes the use of general Chafee funds to supplement the $5,000 per-year ceiling. When an agency has a specific appropriation for a particular item (such as ETVs), and also has a general appropriation broad enough to cover the same item (such as general Chafee funds), only the more specific appropriation may be used. Therefore, expenditures for the ETV program must be made for the specific purposes set forth in the law and limited to expenses associated with institutions of higher education. General Chafee funds may not be used for voucher expenses associated with institutions of higher education, but may be used for other non-higher education-based learning activities (such as General Equivalency Degree programs, mentoring programs and other supportive services for eligible youth). General Chafee funds may also be used for activities that are outside the scope of an institution's definition of "cost of attendance," and are not covered by the ETV program.
- Source/Date: 4/4/05
- Legal and Related References: Social Security Act Sections 477(a)(5) and 477(i); GAO/OGC-91-5 Appropriations Law-Vol. 1, Chapters 2 and 4
Link to federal resources: COVID-19 Resources from the Children’s Bureau
3/12/2020
Dear Child Welfare Leaders,
In the last 24 hours the Children’s Bureau has been made aware of the closing of colleges and universities to protect the health and well-being of students. Unfortunately, for many youth in foster care or formerly in foster care, on-campus housing is their only housing option. For many of these youth and young adults, there is no place to go once the school has closed their dormitory or on-campus housing, resulting in the real-time potential for homelessness for many of these youth.
The time to act is now. We urge all child welfare agencies to immediately contact all youth and young adults in colleges or in other settings who may need assistance finding and securing housing while their college or university is closed. Some schools and universities are offering the ability to remain in campus housing due to unique circumstances. We urge child welfare agencies to work with college and universities, urging them to continue to provide housing as appropriate to meet the special needs of youth in foster care/ formerly in foster care.
For those youth and young adults who are not able to stay at their colleges or universities, the child welfare agency should be prepared to offer assistance to young people in identifying housing. This could be through foster homes, assisting young people to contact relatives and other caregivers, or identifying other settings so that no young adult is without housing.
In all circumstances, we encourage child welfare agencies to be attentive to youth and young adults affected by these circumstances. Youth may require assistance not only with housing, but also accessing food, health care, and emotional support. We ask child welfare agencies to act with a sense of urgency to reach out to and support youth/ young adults at this moment.
As a reminder, up to 30 percent of a state’s or tribe’s annual allotment under the Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood may be used to provide room and board assistance to eligible youth ages 18 – 21 (or up to 23 if that option has been exercised in the Chafee plan). Please direct any questions on allowable use of Chafee funds to your Children’s Bureau Regional Office.
Thank you for your efforts on behalf of young people in or formerly in foster care.
Jerry Milner
Associate Commissioner
Children’s Bureau
