Responsibility for Chafee Funding When Foster Youth Moves Out of State

Q: If a youth ages out of foster care in one State and then changes his or her State of residency, which State is responsible for providing a youth with an Chafee educational and training voucher?

A: For a youth in foster care, the State with placement and care responsibility is responsible for providing a voucher to an eligible youth. The State in which a former foster youth resides is responsible for providing such an eligible youth with a voucher. This provision, however, does not apply to a former foster care youth who already is receiving a voucher and moves to another State for the sole purpose of attending an institution of higher education. In that instance, we expect that the youths original State of residence will continue to provide a voucher to the youth for as long as the youth remains eligible for the program.

• Source/Date: 4/4/05
• Legal and Related References: Social Security Act Section 475 and 477(b)(3)(A); Child Welfare Policy Manual Section 3.1F Q&A 2 and 3

Living Room as Sleeping Area in a SILP

Q: Is a living room considered a sleeping area for purposes of Supervised Independent Living Placement (SILP) approval? The Non-Minor Dependent (NMD) wishes to reside with a relative and sleep on a couch while she saves money to get her own place. She has completed the SILP readiness assessment and is knowledgeable about living on her own. She would pay a minimal amount of rent which would allow her to save quickly.

A: There is nothing explicitly prohibiting a living room from being approved as a SILP, as long as it meets all of the health and safety standards outlined on the SOC 157B, the form that is used by county child welfare workers to conduct health and safety inspections for the SILP. The SOC 157B explicitly prohibits the bathroom or kitchen from serving as a sleeping area.

All County Letter 11-77 states, “Counties have significant discretion for what can constitute a SILP placement.” It also states, “Living situations for young adults will likely reflect the economic realities of the area in which they reside.” The ACL also states, “NMDs may be willing to share a smaller living space with two other people in order to live with a permanent connection that they are comfortable with, rather than renting a room with more space from a landlord they do not know.”

With no explicit prohibition, these statements suggest that such an arrangement would be allowable. This was confirmed by CDSS. Hopefully, however, such an arrangement would be temporary, as in the circumstance you describe. As with all placement decisions, the individual needs and preferences of the youth should be considered.