Chafee Program

Jefferson County's commitment to foster youth does not end when they exit the foster care system. The Chafee Foster Care Independence Program assists youth in successfully transitioning into adulthood and offers the skills and support youth need to become self-sufficient.

What Does Chafee Do?

The goal of Chafee is that all current and former foster youth are supported in and gain the following benefits:

  • Actively involved in their own transition planning
  • Actively supported in the achievement of their high school diploma or GED
  • Actively supported in continuing education needs including, but not limited to, FAFSA, ETV, scholarships and school applications
  • Actively supported in establishing permanent connections
  • Assistance in accessing medical, dental, and mental health providers
  • Assisted in accessing community and governmental resources
  • Help in obtaining housing resources
  • Opportunity to engage in pro-social events and activities
  • Opportunity to participate in Metro Youth Alliance
  • Provided after-care services and support for child welfare case closure
  • Provided Comprehensive Sexual Health Education
  • Provided education around critical thinking and decision making skills
  • Provided education around financial literacy
  • Supported in obtaining job skills, training, and employment

Am I Eligible for Chafee?

To be eligible for Chafee Foster Care Independence Program (CFCIP) services, youth must be:

  • Age eighteen (18) to twenty-one (21), who were in out-of-home care on their eighteenth (18th) birthday
  • Age sixteen (16) to twenty-one (21), who meet requirements for Adoption Assistance and entered Adoption Assistance on or after age sixteen (16)
  • Age sixteen (16) to twenty-one (21), who meet requirements for Relative Guardianship Assistance and entered Relative Guardianship on or after age sixteen (16)
  • Currently in out-of-home care, between fourteen (14) up to eighteen (18) years of age, and in out-of-home placement for a minimum of six (6) months. Consecutive months are not required

Who Do I Contact?

For more information on how Chafee can help, contact Human Services.

How Did Chafee Start?

U.S. Senator John H. Chafee was an advocate for neglected and abused children and sponsored the Foster Care Independence Act of 1999. Today, the John H. Chafee Foster Care Independence Program (CFCIP) offers assistance to help current and former foster care youth achieve self-sufficiency. Grants are offered to states and tribal nations who submit a plan to assist youth in areas designed to support a successful transition to adulthood.

Available Resources

View Chafee Foster Care Independence Program Program Resources (PDF).