TRANSITION

FOSTER CARE TRANSITION GUIDE
information for state officials and other state-specific foster care
information, visit:
https://www.childwelfare.gov/fostercaremonth/resources/contact
s/.
HHS also has 10 Regional Offices that directly serve state and local
organizations. These offices address the needs of communities and
individuals, like you. They can point you in the right direction of who to
contact in your new state to see what services and supports might be
available to you. For information on your Regional Office, visit:
http://www.hhs.gov/about/agencies/iea/regional-offices/index.html.
Am I eligible for continued foster care services?
By law, states can chose to receive federal reimbursement for providing
foster care after the age of 18 to and up to age 21 for costs related to
supporting young people who opt to remain in foster care. As such, an
increasing number of states now allow youth to remain in, or return to,
foster care after they emancipate. Still, eligibility for continued foster care
services varies by state and program. It is important to find out whether
your state offers extended care. Many youth are eager to distance
themselves from the foster care system as soon as they are legally
allowed. However, staying in care past age 18 can have many benefits.
Talk to your caseworker to find out about whether you are eligible for
extended foster care services and how accessing these services might
help you.
What components should I include in my transition plan?
Since access to services varies depending on where you live, no one
transition plan will be the same. Be sure to work with your caseworker
and other supportive adults to understand the required components of
your transition plan.
FosterClub, a national network supporting young people in foster care,
developed a transition toolkit to support people like you. This toolkit
assists with building a transition plan that helps youth define goals, build
a support team, identify resources, refine skills, and map out a plan for
life after foster care. The toolkit provides a step-by-step process for
thinking about leaving care and includes transition plan templates focused
on 10 critical areas:
10