The CONNECT Act updates the John H. Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood to emphasize the importance of building and maintaining long-term relationships for youth aging out of foster care. The bill adds new purposes to help children who experienced foster care at age 14 or older develop sustained connections with adults, mentors, and peers, while also supporting youth still in care to participate in their permanency planning and access peer support services. The legislation affects foster youth aged 14 and older, state and tribal child welfare agencies, and requires the Department of Health and Human Services to issue guidance within one year of enactment based on input from youth with foster care experience. The bill's provisions take effect one year after passage, and the guidance must include examples of federally fundable services, best practices for peer support and mentoring, outreach standards, and documentation protocols. This represents a shift toward relationship-focused support rather than purely service-based assistance for transitioning foster youth.
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