First Movers Will Set the Terms for Future Chafee Reforms
By Doug Steiger, MPP
First Movers Will Set the Terms for Future Chafee Reforms
By Doug Steiger, MPP
Last week’s Ways and Means hearing opened the window for Chafee reform, with Republicans signaling bipartisan interest. The question now is who will shape and set the terms of that process.
Child welfare policy is deeply important to those working on it, and rarely registers with lawmakers. This dynamic drives the policymaking process; bipartisanship is a central ingredient for enacting legislation on issues that do not hold the daily headlines.
The key early sign to watch for is public overtures toward bipartisanship. We saw that from Republicans at last week’s hearing, which suggests interest in working with Democrats.
Whether it’s possible in this specific moment is the wrong question; the right one is what it looks like to be well-positioned when the odds improve after larger legislative battles settle next year.
Those invested in the Chafee program would be well-served to express their views to bipartisan lawmakers and policy partners soon to define the next policy debate.
What Chafee Does
Chafee is the main federal program for older foster youth. It provides states with flexible funding for supports like educational assistance, employment help, and life skills training.
It is designed for youth likely to “age out” of foster care.
Depending on the state, youth currently or formerly in foster care aged 14 to 23 may be eligible for Chafee services.
Why Some Chafe at Chafee
The Chafee program is not reaching many eligible young people, and it’s unclear how much it's helping those it does reach.
An estimated 47 percent of eligible young people ever receive even one of the services Chafee covers.
Evidence on the effectiveness of those services is also limited, though the Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families (ACF) has funded a project to improve that knowledge base.
Where the Debate May Go
One key issue at the hearing: unused Education and Training Voucher (ETV) Program funds. The ETV helps current and former foster youth cover the cost of college or vocational training—up to $5,000 per year.
Too often, ETV goes untapped due to red tape, lack of outreach, or eligibility barriers that don’t match the realities on the ground.
One proposal is to allocate funds by a state’s share of Chafee-eligible youth, rather than all foster youth, to better target resources. A GAO report on this issue is here.
While this sounds simple, wonks hear “formula revision” and gird for battle: funding shifts inevitably create “winners” and “losers.” That distribution rarely falls neatly along partisan lines, creating complex regional politics.
Several other aspects of Chafee came up at the hearing, all of which have been places of recent bipartisan policy discussion: employment, housing, mental health, expanded eligibility, access to driver’s licenses, and mentorship programs.
Conditions for Expanding Flexibility
The Chafee program offers states flexibility to choose among a variety of services.
A perpetual challenge for policymakers is balancing a desire to support the most effective approaches with state discretion to adapt programs to the needs of individuals and local conditions.
In a Chafee bill, Congress could limit services to those believed to lead to the best outcomes. Or it could expand the allowable services to give those on the ground more tools.
The latter is more likely – a shorter menu draws opposition from those who support the activities being dropped.
Given unmet need and a host of policy ideas, Congress could choose to increase funding for Chafee. However, that seems unlikely in the current climate.
What Comes Next
The House Republicans appear open to a bipartisan Chafee bill, but there aren’t many incentives or pressures for Democrats to negotiate yet.
To date, the Trump Administration has made no major proposals on the Chafee program. A potential wild card is the possibility the First Lady will take an interest, making it more of a priority for Republicans.
The White House credited her with championing a $25 million HUD proposal for youth aging out of care last month.
Given the needs of the Chafee population, some could argue a bold rethinking of the program is in order, such as structural redesign. A more likely scenario is a set of tweaks to the current program, like what it covers and for who.
Judging from the House hearing, there’s no clear consensus yet on a new direction for Chafee.
If you have a fresh idea, now’s the time to surface it; before the boundaries of deliberation emerge.
Those already crafting memos, honing ideas, and cultivating relationships to highlight what’s working and what’s not will be the first movers to frame the debate.
Finding the right mix of provisions to garner bipartisan support for a child welfare bill often takes time. This hearing may have been the start; don’t get caught flat-footed.
Doug Steiger is a public policy consultant. He served as a Counselor to the HHS Secretary during the Obama Administration and was a Senate staffer for 12 years.