Statement of Congressman Danny K. Davis In Support of H.R. 5661, Continued State Flexibility to Assist Older Foster Youth Act
Statement of Congressman Danny K. Davis
In Support of
H.R. 5661, Continued State Flexibility to Assist Older Foster Youth Act
October 27, 2021
The COVID-19 pandemic hit all of our communities hard, but, for vulnerable youth in foster care, it was terrifying - especially for those youth approaching the age of independence at which they lose access to the supports that foster care provides. When my good friend Congresswoman Jackie Walorski and I teamed up last year to provide states with flexibility and funding to help these youth, we hoped and expected that the pandemic would be over by now and that these youth would be back on track – getting an education, starting jobs, finding a place to live, and establishing independent lives.
Unfortunately, the Delta variant hit hard, creating a new wave of challenges for these youth. To the current and former foster youth who reached out to us and our colleagues to share their stories, we hear you, and we are committed to continuing to respect the lessons of your lived experiences in foster care.
The legislation we are considering today, the Continued State Flexibility to Assist Older Foster Youth Act, will restore and continue key program flexibilities that allow states to provide greater stability and certainty to current and former youth via the John H. Chafee Foster Care Independence Program.
The bill will give states the flexibility to continue providing the specific supports that older foster youth need to return to college, training programs, and work. It will extend flexibilities to secure housing, to gain independence through driving programs, and to allow youth who would otherwise "age out" of eligibility for services a little more support to weather the pandemic.
I firmly believe in the strong bipartisan partnership that Representative Walorski and I have built over the years to help vulnerable youth and families and to improve our child welfare system.
We have a lot to do to help foster youth through this pandemic, and this legislation to allow states to make better use of the funding we provided is the first step. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation
Representative Davis represents the 7th Congressional District of Illinois, serving as the Chair of the Subcommittee on Worker and Family Support within the Committee on Ways and Means, which has broad jurisdiction over child welfare.