Millions in Foster Care Funds Go Unspent—While Youth Struggle to Survive

Every other day I dedicate an hour to looking around for articles covering issues that revolve around the great work we do at The RightWay Foundation, and lately there haven’t been any articles that just made me stop scrolling until I saw this one. It is an article written by John Kelly of The Imprint that covers the issue that millions of dollars for helping older foster youth go unspent.

According to the article, every year there are 20,000 foster youth that age out of the system without any permanent family support, and programs like the John H. Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood exists to provide critical resources. Despite great efforts and programs, millions of these funds go unspent, which leaves foster youth without the help they so desperately need.

According to a recent Government Accountability Office report, states have returned over $42 million in Chafee funds over the last five years. In the report, an even more astonishing number shows the lack of spending. During the Covid-19 Pandemic, extra funding was allocated; however $50 million went unused.

The funds under the Chafee Program are meant for housing, education, and independent living services but often go unspent due to bureaucratic delays and staffing shortages.

I strongly encourage you to read the rest of the article: “Millions for Helping Older Foster Youth Goes Unspent” (hyperlink the title) John Kelly, The Imprint.

So how does this issue or situation affect foster youth? Well it can impact them in three large ways. When this money isn’t being spent, foster youth miss out on crucial support like housing assistance, education funding, and independent living services. We know that, in California alone, 31% of foster youth will face homelessness, and if the money is being spent properly we can help house and keep these young adults off the streets. This also ties in with employment because they can allocate some of the unspent money on job training and employment programs which can help foster youth find sustainable employment and careers.

Although the states are struggling to distribute these funds, The RightWay Foundation is here to take direct action to help and support transition-age foster youth. We strongly believe that through our four pillars, housing, mental health, employment, and community, we can provide the necessary tools and skills for foster youth to live independent and successful lives.

Through our housing program, Operation Housing First, we help tackle the foster care to homelessness pipeline by subsidizing RightWay youths’ rent and providing them with a safe place to call home. We support our youth and give them the right tools and resources to find and keep employment with our staple program, Operation Emancipation, and they will have the tools needed to live financially stable lives by learning about financial literacy through Operation Pursuit. Also, we support our youth with our mental health services, where our therapist will provide trauma-informed therapy allowing our youth to heal from past experiences and build a strong foundation for their future.

It’s time to turn unspent funds into life-changing opportunities—because every foster youth deserves a fair shot at stability and success. Learn more about how we’re making a difference here.