You are on this page: Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood
The purpose of CFCP is to assist current and former youth in foster care achieve self-sufficiency. CFCP is federal funding that is allocated to states based on the number of children in foster care during the most recent federal fiscal year. In NYS allocations are made to local departments of social services based on the following two components:
- Potential independent living population defined as youth 14 – 21 years of age who are in foster care on September 30 of each year.
- Independent living expenditures made by LDSSs and claimed for the federal fiscal year of October 1 to September 30 of each year.
There are four Eligibility criteria for CFCP:
- Youth in foster care at age 14 – 21 years of age who are provided IL services.
- Youth who have aged out of foster care at age 18, 19, or 20 can be provided IL services up to their 21st birthday.
- Youth who have exited foster care to adoption or legal guardianship at age 16 can be provided IL services up to their 21st birthday.
- Youth who were in foster care at age 14 or older and have exited foster care for reasons other than adoption, legal guardianship, or aging out of foster care can be provided IL services up to their 21st birthday.
CFCP services may include but are not limited to academic support, employment programs, vocational programs, housing, financial literacy, and career preparation.
OCFS currently offers the Chafee Funds Program (CFP) direct cash assistance to young adults aged 18 - 23 years old who have been impacted by the COVID-19 public health emergency as a result of the Supporting Foster Youth and Families through the Pandemic Act.