A bill to require States to consider legal issues affecting youth as part of case planning and to provide States with the option to use funds from the John H. Chafee Foster Care Program for successful Transition to Adulthood to support access to legal services and counseling.
About This Bill
Committee
Latest Action · June 16, 2026
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
The Fresh Starts for Foster Youth Act expands the John H. Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood to allow states to use program funds to support legal services and counseling for current and former foster youth. The bill requires states to certify that their case planning processes consider legal issues affecting foster youth, including matters related to housing, education, employment, family connections, custody arrangements, and court records. This legislation applies to states receiving federal foster care funds and takes effect one year after enactment, though states may delay implementation by one additional year if they need to pass new state legislation to comply. The bill targets youth aging out of foster care, who often face significant barriers related to legal status and family documentation that can hinder their transition to independence. No specific new federal funding is authorized in the bill; instead, it gives states the flexibility to allocate existing Chafee Program funds toward legal services that were not previously eligible uses of the money.
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