Lincoln Chafee: “it is a rare opportunity when we can provide assistance to one of our nation's most vulnerable groups: children in the…”

“it is a rare opportunity when we can provide assistance to one of our nation's most vulnerable groups: children in the foster care program. Currently, Independent Living Programs for older foster children end at their 18th birthday, abandoning these teens in the middle of a critical transition period from adolescence to adulthood. Sadly, these young people are left to negotiate the rough waters of adulthood without vital health and mental health resources and critical life-skills. That is why I am pleased to join my colleagues Senators Rockefeller, Bond, Moynihan, and others in introducing the Foster Care Independence Act. Many of the 20,000 adolescents who leave the foster care rolls each year to become adults come from particularly troubled backgrounds. Typically, these young people have experienced on average four placements in the past seven years of their lives. As a result, they lack a sense of permanency and the skills essential to becoming self-reliant and productive adults. Our bill will cushion the transition to adulthood by funding Independent Living Programs and ensuring access to the critical health care and mental health services provided by Medicaid through a foster child's 21st birthday. Most importantly, it doubles the money available to state-administered Independent Living Programs, allowing them to provide the day-to-day living needs for 18 to 21-year-olds while they learn valuable life skills.”