rovisions. No FY 1998 or FY 1999 fundsmay be expended for costs incurred under the new provisionsimplemented by Public Law 106-169. For example, no room andboard or services for children younger than 16 may beprovided with funds awarded prior to the enactment of thenew law. Also, amounts paid to the State under the law mustbe used to supplement, not supplant, any other fundsavailable for the same general purposes.Intended or Unintended ResultsIntended benefits have already been discussed. Theyinclude more educated foster children who would be moreemployable, less foster children who become pregnant, lessfoster children involved in the criminal justice system andless homelessness. Unintended results may include a group of young adultsthat are still dependent on the state after turning 21. This may cause more aged-out foster children to enroll intowelfare rolls and cause them to feel entitled to benefits.Suggestions for Improvements More money is needed to implement these servicesappropriately. This would be the first change to be made. An allotment of $30,000 per child for four years would beset aside to pay university tuition. There would be arequirement that all foster children either receive a highschool diploma or receive a GED by their 18th birthday andenroll in a university or vocational school.Personal and social functioning, health, education andemployment are all critical areas of well-being for youngpeople as they move toward adulthood. The experience thatresult in children and youth being placed in foster care, aswell as the actual experience of foster care, can createbarriers to achieving well-being in any or all of theseareas. Coordinated efforts on the part of policymakers,public official, caregivers, service providers, educators,community members, and youth themselves would be critical tothe positive development of young people making thetransition to productive interdependence. Young people whohave left the foste...
