Increasing Access to Foster Care Through Age 21 Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [H.R. 8498 Introduced in House (IH)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 8498 To provide an incentive for States to extend child welfare support and services for youth through 21 years of age, and to allow youth to re- enter foster care after attaining 18 years of age, both without regard to the AFDC eligibility of their parents or legal guardians, and for other purposes. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES April 27, 2026 Ms. Chu (for herself and Mrs. Houchin) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To provide an incentive for States to extend child welfare support and services for youth through 21 years of age, and to allow youth to re- enter foster care after attaining 18 years of age, both without regard to the AFDC eligibility of their parents or legal guardians, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Increasing Access to Foster Care Through Age 21 Act''. SEC. 2. FINDINGS. The Congress finds that each additional year in extended foster care has-- (1) significantly increased the probability that youth completed a high school credential by approximately 8 percent; (2) increased their expected probability of enrolling in college by between 5 percent and 12 percent; (3) increased the amount of time that youth between ages 21 and 23 have been employed by approximately 1.5 months; (4) increased the amount of money youth have had in bank accounts by an average of approximately $650; (5) increased the odds that youth feel they have enough people to turn to for emotional support, tangible support, and advice or guidance; (6) decreased the odds that yo