Ways and Means subcommittee: "Aging out is not a plan," calls for better use of Chafee funds

Rep. Darin LaHood, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee's Work and Welfare Subcommittee, opened a hearing titled "Aging out is not a plan, reimagining futures for foster youth," saying the nation must do more to help young people leave foster care with stable housing, education and employment.

"Aging out is not a plan," LaHood said, and he called for continued bipartisan work to modernize and expand supports for current and former foster youth.

LaHood summarized recent policy changes and gaps. He said Congress last session reauthorized Title IV-B through the bipartisan "Supporting America's Children and Families Act," and that the law extended some eligibility and required individualized plans and state youth advisory boards. He noted the John H. Chafee Foster Care Program provides independent living services and education and training vouchers (ETVs) that can cover up to $5,000 for higher education costs.

LaHood cited data presented at the hearing: in 2023, about 15,600 young people aged out of foster care — exiting care at 18 without a permanent family connection — and roughly 25 percent of former foster youth experience homelessness within four years of leaving care. He said 79 percent of foster youth obtained a high school diploma compared with 92 percent of their peers.

LaHood also cited a Government Accountability Office report that found states underused Chafee funds. "In 2022, 12 states returned $2,500,000 in unspent Chafee funds, and 28 states returned $6,300,000 in Education and Training Vouchers, totaling $8,900,000," he said, adding that administrative barriers and lack of awareness among youth are obstacles to drawing down federal dollars.

LaHood pointed to federal programs that can support housing and workforce pathways for former foster youth but said they often lack coordination. He described the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Foster Youth to Independence vouchers, which offer up to 36 months of housing assistance for youth referred by child welfare agencies, and Department of Labor opportunities for paid work experience and pre-apprenticeship programs aligned with employer needs.

LaHood described the hearing's goal as building on bipartisan progress to further modernize Chafee and strengthen the safety net so foster youth can "become thriving, self-sufficient, and independent adults." He thanked witnesses who were scheduled to testify and participants in Foster Youth Shadow Day organized by the Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth.

The remarks at the start of the hearing were mainly contextual and legislative in scope; the transcript excerpt provided does not record witness testimony, formal votes, or staff directions.