Brief
Aligning Chafee Funding to Support Wellbeing and Success for Young People During their Transition to Adulthood
March 18, 2026
Related Areas of Focus: CARES, Child Welfare, Health & Wellbeing, Youth and Young Adults

Every young person needs their community’s support during their transition to adulthood. For the 15 to 20 thousand young people that age out of foster care each year, system failures mean they are often left to navigate this critically important transition alone. They deserve better.
The John H. Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood (Chafee) was designed to support young people as they navigate the complex transition to adulthood by providing access to critical education and employment resources and support for expenses related to independent living. When young people are able to access Chafee-funded supports, research shows young people achieve long-term independence and experience positive wellbeing outcomes.
Unfortunately, the program does not currently meet young people’s clear needs as many states underutilize these federal funds, and are then forced to return their unused allocation to the federal government. These Chafee dollars are left unspent not because young people do not need support, but because there is a disconnect between what young people need and the requirements of the various programs available to them.


