Who are ‘Older Youth’?

‘Older youth’, sometimes referred to as ‘transition age youth,’ are people between the ages of 16-25 years old. In the context of the Family First Act, ‘older youth’ refers to youth between the ages of 16-25 years old who are also in foster care.

Want to know what happened before 2010? Check out History of Services to Older Youth Part 1.

History of Policies Relating to Older Youth

Important note: There are many policies that impact older youth, such as laws relating to Medicaid, Title IV-B, Title IV-E, and any other laws that relate to youth in foster care. However, the policies listed here are policies that involve language related specifically to providing services and supports to older youth in or transitioning from foster care.

2010: Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

  • Extends Medicaid coverage to age 26 for youth formerly in foster care, increasing former youth in cares’ access to and the affordability of healthcare

2014: Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act

  • Another Planned Permanent Living Arrangement (APPLA), which is when child welfare maintains the care and custody of a youth and arranges a living situation where the youth is expected to remain until adulthood, is prohibited for youth under age 16
    • This means children at or over 16 years of age can still have an APPLA, though there are requirements around when an APPLA is a permissible permanency plan for older youth
  • Increases a youth’s ability to be involved in permanency planning
  • Updates Chafee by permitting states to use program funds on ensuring that children who are expected to remain in foster care until 18 years old have the opportunity to participate in age- or developmentally-appropriate activities. This provision helps older youth maintain normalcy

2018: The Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA)

  • The John H. Chafee Foster Care Independence Program is renamed the John H. Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood
    • The change is meant to promote the focus on supporting a youth’s transition to adulthood
  • Allows states to offer services to youth who have aged out of foster care up to 23 years old (previously 21 years old)
  • Transition services begin at age 14 years old (previously they began at 16 years old)
  • States must provide youth who exit care as adults with documentation that proves the youth was in foster care–this documentation aids youth in accessing certain programs and services to assist them
  • States can now provide young adults education and training vouchers until age 26 (previously age 23)

Summary:

In 2010, policymakers ensured that youth who experienced foster care were eligible for Medicaid up to age 26. In 2014, the Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act aimed to ensure that young people were involved in their own permanency planning, as well as ensured that permanency was emphasized over Another Planned Permanent Living Arrangement (APPLA). In 2018, FFPSA changed the focus of the Chafee program to support youth’s transition into adulthood and increase eligibility for transition services.

Want to learn more? Check out these resources: