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Georgia

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State Coordinator

Georgia Division of Family and Children Services
Independent Living Program
Kristin A Sanchez, MSW
Independent Living Program Unit Manager
2 Peachtree Street
Atlanta, GA 30303
Phone: (404) 561-4552
Fax: (770) 408-5579
Email: kasanchez@dhr.state.ga.us

Agency Website

State's Chafee Mission Statement

“Every child will be secure from abuse and neglect and will become a literate, productive, economically self-sustaining citizen within a nurturing, caring, permanent home environment. This will be achieved through the development and enhancement of a coordinated and integrated children and family services system which emphasizes collaborative approaches, early identification of issues, and delivery of prevention and early intervention services which build on the strengths of families.”

Who is eligible for Chafee services?

Youth, ages 14-21, who are presently in foster care or who were formerly in foster care and eligible for ILP services when custody was terminated.

What is the state's definition of room and board?

Not more than 30 percent of the amounts paid to the State from its allotment for a fiscal year will be expended for room and board for youth who have left foster care because they have attained 18 years of age, and have not attained 21 years of age.

Maximum age that youth may remain in state funded foster care

No additional information is available.

Under what conditions can a youth remain in state funded foster care beyond 18?

The youth has an educational plan in place and signs an agreement with the resource provider and the county. The youth may remain until 21.5 years if the additional 6 months will allow time to complete an educational program.

Does the state have an approved plan to extend Title IV-E (Federal foster care) beyond 18?

Is the Extended Medicaid Option available for youth until 21?

Yes

Not for youth who did not choose to remain in custody.

Can youth in care get driver’s licenses?

Yes

Driver’s education is provided by either the public high school or through the ILP program. Once a youth obtains a license a biological family member must assume liability in order for the youth to drive. In situations where the youth’s parental rights have been terminated, the county director and the state director must sign for the youth. If a foster parent allows a youth to drive the foster family’s car, the foster family assumes liability.

Does the state offer tuition waivers for foster youth?

However, the state provides supplemental educational funding for all foster youth attending Georgia public or private colleges until age 26.

Does the state have a youth leadership program?

Yes

“We, the foster youth, believe that transitioning youth in Georgia deserve and can do better.We believe our voice and our input can inform the discussion about what we need in Georgia. We have convened and engaged more than 300 current and former foster youth in Georgia to develop the list of EmpowerMEnt priorities. Representing a wide mix of age, race, sex, parental status, geography and foster care placements, we shared ideas to come up with a unified list of EmpowerMEnt priorities. Our hope is that child welfare administrators and workers, foster parents, group home workers, child advocates and attorneys, the business and faith community, other youth in and formerly in foster care and other community members will hear our voices and join us in advocating for positive changes in the foster care system in Georgia.” *For more information, please visit the following website:http://www.maac4kids.org/empowerMEnt/index.html

*Quoted from GA Youth EmpowerMEnt website