Chafee Independent Living Services

There are over 391,000 children and youth in foster care in the United States. Over 5,000 individuals in Virginia Child Protective Custody. Of those 47.3% are 13 - 21 years old with about 800 in Foster Futures (voluntarily remain in care after the age of 18). On average 300 young adults leave Virginia's foster care system each year without any parents legally obligated to support them. Since the COVID-19 Pandemic Virginia has lost approximately 65% of its foster families resulting in more placements in congregate care, out of state placements and even individuals sleeping in LDSS offices and hotel rooms until a placement can be identified. In April of 2022 Governor Youngkin announced a “Safe and Sound Task Force” aimed to end this crisis. Meanwhile several counties were struggling with having enough Family Support Specialists (FSS) to manage the number of cases, one county noting a 50% understaffing in their budget report. 

Emerging Phoenix aims to support the LDSS staff by taking on the Chafee Independent Living Service requirements on for the youth 14 and older. By increasing compliance for the monthly independent living skills classes, Transition Living Plans, Casey Life Skills assessments, National Youth in Transition Database (NYTD) surveys and spending the Chafee funds for youth to get employment, housing, transportation and other areas. This will allow FSS to focus on youth’s permanency; while youth and their Life Navigator can look to their future and prepare for the transition into adulthood. There are currently 117 offices in Virginia with youth that require Chafee services. Data on the compliance and quality of those services is very poor and unreliable as many FSS may not have the training or time to provide and/or document the services youth are receiving.