John H. Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood 
(formerly known as Independent Living Program)

John H. Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood. The journey to adulthood is a critical transition for youth in foster care.  It is a time when young adults learn to take on the primary responsibility for their futures and the accompanying concerns of employment, education, healthcare, housing and home management, and maintaining significant relationships with those who will continue to support and encourage them beyond the transition to independence. This section will provide information on services, resources, manuals, and policies that ensures opportunities are available for youth to learn independent living skills necessary to become self-reliant.

Extension of Foster Care Bill Signed to Support Older Youth in Foster Care

Click HERE to watch the video of the bill signing ceremony and hear powerful testimonies of older youth with lived experience in foster care.

Congratulations to Sierra Burns (pictured below with Gov. Henry McMaster and Lt. Gov. Pam Everette) for being selected to participate in the upcoming annual Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative’s Youth Leadership Institute (YLI). Sierra was formerly in foster care and is now a member of the agency’s Youth Engagement Advocates (YEA!). She was chosen to represent South Carolina because she demonstrated leadership and a strong commitment to improving outcomes for young people in and transitioning away from foster care.