Aging Out of Foster Care in Virginia: Independent Living and the Chafee Program

Every year in Virginia, hundreds of young people "age out" of the foster care system when they turn 18. For many of them, that birthday arrives without a permanent family, without a stable place to live, and without the informal support networks most young adults take for granted. Virginia ranks near the bottom nationally in outcomes for youth who leave care without permanency — a fact that the state's own legislative reviews have acknowledged.

Understanding what aging out looks like, what resources exist, and how foster families can make a real difference starts with knowing how the system is supposed to work.

What "Aging Out" Means

When a young person in foster care turns 18 without having been reunified, adopted, or placed with a legal guardian, they are considered to have "aged out." In Virginia, this transition has legal and financial implications for the youth, the LDSS, and any foster family currently caring for them.

The transition does not have to be abrupt. Virginia has extended foster care provisions — meaning youth who meet certain conditions can remain in a supervised care setting past their 18th birthday. However, the eligibility criteria and the quality of services vary significantly depending on which of the 120 local departments is managing the case.

The 2019 Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) report on Virginia's foster care system found that a significant percentage of youth who aged out experienced housing instability, unemployment, and involvement with the criminal justice system within two years of leaving care. These outcomes are not inevitable, but preventing them requires active planning well before the youth's 18th birthday.

Virginia's Extended Foster Care Provisions

Virginia law allows youth to remain in or re-enter extended foster care up to age 21 if they meet one of the following conditions:

• Completing secondary education or a program leading to an equivalent credential.
• Enrolled in an institution that provides postsecondary or vocational education.
• Participating in a program or activity designed to promote employment or remove barriers to employment.
• Employed for at least 80 hours per month.
• Unable to participate in any of the above due to a medical condition.

These criteria come from federal law under the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act. Virginia adopted them into state practice, but not all LDSS offices communicate these options clearly to youth approaching their 18th birthday. A foster parent who understands these criteria can advocate effectively for a young person to stay in extended care.

The John H. Chafee Foster Care Program

The federal Chafee program provides funding to states specifically for independent living services for youth who have aged out or are likely to age out of foster care. In Virginia, Chafee funds flow through the VDSS to local departments and are used to support:

• Life skills training: Budgeting, cooking, renting an apartment, navigating healthcare.
• Educational and vocational support: GED assistance, college preparation, workforce readiness.
• Room and board assistance: For youth ages 18-21 who have left care and are in an approved setting.
• Mentoring programs: Connections to adult mentors in the community.

One critical component of the Chafee program in Virginia is the Education and Training Voucher (ETV) program. Youth who have aged out, or who were adopted or entered legal guardianship from foster care after age 16, may qualify for ETV funds of up to $5,000 per year to support postsecondary education or vocational training. Applications are submitted through the VDSS, and funds can be used for tuition, room and board, books, and related expenses.

Chafee services are not automatic. Youth must be connected to the right caseworker and must actively apply for available benefits. Many young people who qualify never receive them because they didn't know to ask — or because their local department lacked adequate staffing to follow up.

The Role of Foster Families with Teenagers

Fostering teenagers is among the most needed and most underutilized roles in Virginia's system. Teens represent a significant portion of the children waiting for foster homes, yet most licensed families express a preference for younger children. The result is that older youth are disproportionately placed in group homes or congregate care settings — which research consistently shows produce worse outcomes than family-based placements.

Foster families who are open to teens take on a different kind of challenge than those fostering infants or young children. The relationship-building is harder. The behavioral presentations can be more intense. The legal complexity is greater. But the opportunity to help a young person avoid aging out without a family is also greater.

Specific practical considerations for families fostering teens in Virginia:

• Driving and independence: Virginia launched a statewide driver's licensing program for youth in foster care in 2025. Foster parents can play a direct role in helping teens practice and obtain licenses — a concrete step toward independence.
• Education stability: The McKinney-Vento Act and the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) protect foster youth's right to remain in their school of origin when placements change. Understanding these rights prevents unnecessary school disruptions that set back academic progress.
• Transition planning: Virginia LDSS offices are required to develop a transition plan with youth 90 days before they exit care. Foster parents who are part of that conversation — and who advocate for robust plans rather than minimal compliance — directly shape what comes next.

What Foster Parents Can Actually Do

The research on outcomes for youth who age out is sobering, but it points to a clear intervention: consistent, caring adult relationships. Youth who have at least one stable adult relationship as they leave care have measurably better outcomes on housing, employment, and mental health measures.

That relationship can be a foster parent. It can be a former foster parent who maintains contact after placement ends. It can be a relative the foster family helped identify. The form matters less than the consistency.

For families considering fostering teens, or currently caring for an older youth approaching 18, the Virginia Foster Care Licensing Guide includes detail on independent living planning, educational rights, and the Chafee program — so you can be the informed advocate your young person needs at a time when the system often falls short.

Virginia's Accountability Gap

The JLARC data and state-level reports make clear that Virginia's outcomes for youth aging out are below national averages. Vacancy rates among LDSS caseworkers — as high as 35% in some localities — mean transition planning is sometimes rushed or incomplete. Youth who have a knowledgeable advocate in their corner — ideally a foster parent who understands the system — have a meaningful advantage.

This is not a failure that prospective foster parents caused, but it is one they can help address, one placement at a time.

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