Resources What Is The Chafee Foster Care Independence Program?

Cafee Series.qxp1/26/201012:02 PMPage 2What is the Chafee Foster CareIndependence Program?The Chafee Foster Care Independence Program was createdby federal legislation aimed at helping youth in care to:establish permanent, nurturing relationshipswith caring adults;develop basic lifeskills such as moneymanagement andfinding an apartment;obtain the education/vocationaltraining that young people need to makea transition from foster care to responsibleadulthood; andtake an active role in planning for their future.What Chafee Services are Availablein New York State?All local departments of social services in New York Stateare required to provide a variety of services that will helpyou make a successful transition from foster care.ResourcesCasey Life Skills Assessments — This organization includesfree online assessments for youth at various ages and theircaregivers. It includes the ability to develop individualizedplans using online resources. www.caseylifeskills.orgEducation and Training Voucher (ETV) Program —Youth can find information on eligibility and the onlineapplication process to help pay for their college or vocationaltraining. www.statevoucher.orgFoster Club — This national network for kids in foster careincludes information and resources for youth in care andformer foster care youth. www.fosterclub.comOrphan Foundation — This organization provides a wealthof information, including Educational Training Voucherfunding opportunities and other financial assistance, andinternship resources for foster care youth and former fostercare youth. www.orphan.orgYouth in Progress — This is New York State's YouthLeadership Advisory Group's website, which providesyouth, staff, and foster parents with information on monthlyregional meetings, annual youth speak-outs, videos andvarious other resources, including the English and Spanishversion of the Handbook for Youth, which covers rights andresponsibilities of youth in out-of-home placement in NewYork State. www.youthinprogress.org

Cafee Series.qxp1/26/201012:02 PMPage 3Medicaid Until 21 is available to you as a former fostercare youth if you left care on or after your 18 birthday andyou are under the age of 21. This is true regardless of yourincome and/or resources as long as you live in New YorkState. In order to receive Medicaid, you must be a U.S. citizenor have satisfactory immigration status. The local departmentof social services may ask you to submitpapers that prove that you meet thisrequirement, and it may also requestyour Social Security number. It isvery important that you submit therequested information. If you do notpresent it, you may lose your Medicaidcoverage. It is also important that youlet your local department of social services know when youchange your address. You risk losing your Medicaid coverageif your current address is not on file.Room and Board Services may be available throughyour local department of social services. You must be aformer foster youth between the ages of 18 and 21 wholeft foster care on or after the age of 18 to be eligiblefor these services. These services, whenavailable, may help you pay yourpaidrent and/or utilities, obtain furnishingsfor your apartment, and cover yoursecurity deposit.These services are:Assessment and Casework CounselingEducation Services/Vocational TrainingLife Skills TrainingIndependent Living (IL) StipendsPost-discharge ServicesAssessment and Casework Counseling includessetting your permanency planning goal such as adoptionor discharge to the community/Another Planned LivingArrangement with a PermanencyResource (APLA), and documentingthe goals and activities that you andyour caseworker develop in yourcase plan to help you gain the skillsyou need when you leave care.Education Services/Vocational Training includeseducation, training, and services to help you gain theacademic skills you will need to receiveyour high school diploma or GED,and be prepared to enter college ora vocational training program to learna trade.

Cafee Series.qxp1/26/201012:02 PMPage 4Life Skills Training is a way for you to develop a varietyof skills to help in your transition to adulthood. Starting atage 14 and based on an assessment, you should be receivinglife skills training that are appropriate for your age andabilities in the areas listed below:Post-discharge ServicesAftercare Services are available to former foster careyouth between the ages of 18 and 21. If you are going to bedischarged to the community/APLA, the district is required tooffer you a trial discharge. To participate in a trial discharge,career counselingyou would need to agree to live on your own in thejob searchdischarge can last 6 months or longer. Your caseworker wouldapartment findingbudgetingcommunity but remain in the custody of the district. A trialvisit you and help you obtain needed services during the trialdischarge period. The most important thing to understand isthat if you are living on your own in the community and loseyour housing, you would not be able to re-enter foster careshoppingunless you have agreed to be on a trial discharge. When yourcookingto agree to be under the district's supervision until the age ofhousecleaningIndependent Living (IL) Stipends are provided toeligible foster youth who are 16 years of age or older andare actively participating in their independent livingprograms. An IL stipend serves as an incentive for you toparticipate in the program, and itwill also provide you with moneymanagement experience. If youare 16 or older, check with yourcaseworker to see if you are eligibleto receive an IL stipend.trial discharge period ends, you would have the opportunity21. This means that your caseworker would visit you and helpyou obtain needed services.Transition Plan is a plan for an older youth who will soonbe exiting foster care. The plan includes options in areas thatare important for you to address before you leave care, tohelp you make a successful transition from foster care toself-sufficiency. It is your personalized plan and can includeas much detail as you would like to see in it. Your TransitionPlan will help you identify your options in such areas ashousing, health care and health insurance, and education/vocational training. You and your caseworker must begindeveloping your Transition Plan 180 days prior to yourscheduled discharge, and it must be completed 90 days priorto your leaving care.

Cafee Series.qxp1/26/201012:02 PMPage 4Life Skills Training is a way for you to develop a varietyof skills to help in your transition to adulthood. Starting atage 14 and based on an assessment, you should be receivinglife skills training that are appropriate for your age andabilities in the areas listed below:Post-discharge ServicesAftercare Services are available to former foster careyouth between the ages of 18 and 21. If you are going to bedischarged to the community/APLA, the district is required tooffer you a trial discharge. To participate in a trial discharge,career counselingyou would need to agree to live on your own in thejob searchdischarge can last 6 months or longer. Your caseworker wouldapartment findingbudgetingcommunity but remain in the custody of the district. A trialvisit you and help you obtain needed services during the trialdischarge period. The most important thing to understand isthat if you are living on your own in the community and loseyour housing, you would not be able to re-enter foster careshoppingunless you have agreed to be on a trial discharge. When yourcookingto agree to be under the district's supervision until the age ofhousecleaningIndependent Living (IL) Stipends are provided toeligible foster youth who are 16 years of age or older andare actively participating in their independent livingprograms. An IL stipend serves as an incentive for you toparticipate in the program, and itwill also provide you with moneymanagement experience. If youare 16 or older, check with yourcaseworker to see if you are eligibleto receive an IL stipend.trial discharge period ends, you would have the opportunity21. This means that your caseworker would visit you and helpyou obtain needed services.Transition Plan is a plan for an older youth who will soonbe exiting foster care. The plan includes options in areas thatare important for you to address before you leave care, tohelp you make a successful transition from foster care toself-sufficiency. It is your personalized plan and can includeas much detail as you would like to see in it. Your TransitionPlan will help you identify your options in such areas ashousing, health care and health insurance, and education/vocational training. You and your caseworker must begindeveloping your Transition Plan 180 days prior to yourscheduled discharge, and it must be completed 90 days priorto your leaving care.

Cafee Series.qxp1/26/201012:02 PMPage 3Medicaid Until 21 is available to you as a former fostercare youth if you left care on or after your 18 birthday andyou are under the age of 21. This is true regardless of yourincome and/or resources as long as you live in New YorkState. In order to receive Medicaid, you must be a U.S. citizenor have satisfactory immigration status. The local departmentof social services may ask you to submitpapers that prove that you meet thisrequirement, and it may also requestyour Social Security number. It isvery important that you submit therequested information. If you do notpresent it, you may lose your Medicaidcoverage. It is also important that youlet your local department of social services know when youchange your address. You risk losing your Medicaid coverageif your current address is not on file.Room and Board Services may be available throughyour local department of social services. You must be aformer foster youth between the ages of 18 and 21 wholeft foster care on or after the age of 18 to be eligiblefor these services. These services, whenavailable, may help you pay yourpaidrent and/or utilities, obtain furnishingsfor your apartment, and cover yoursecurity deposit.These services are:Assessment and Casework CounselingEducation Services/Vocational TrainingLife Skills TrainingIndependent Living (IL) StipendsPost-discharge ServicesAssessment and Casework Counseling includessetting your permanency planning goal such as adoptionor discharge to the community/Another Planned LivingArrangement with a PermanencyResource (APLA), and documentingthe goals and activities that you andyour caseworker develop in yourcase plan to help you gain the skillsyou need when you leave care.Education Services/Vocational Training includeseducation, training, and services to help you gain theacademic skills you will need to receiveyour high school diploma or GED,and be prepared to enter college ora vocational training program to learna trade.