113 STAT. 1824 PUBLIC LAW 106-169—DEC. 14, 1999 graduation and continuing, as needed, until the young adults emancipated from foster care establish independence or reach 21 years of age. (b) IMPROVED INDEPENDENT LIVING PROGRAM.— Section 477 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 677) is amended to read as follows: "SEC. 477. JOHN H. CHAFEE FOSTER CARE INDEPENDENCE PROGRAM. "(a) PURPOSE.— The purpose of this section is to provide States with flexible funding that will enable programs to be designed and conducted— "(1) to identify children who are likely to remain in foster care until 18 years of age and to help these children make the transition to self-sufficiency by providing services such as assistance in obtaining a high school diploma, career exploration, vocational training, job placement and retention, training in daily living skills, training in budgeting and financial management skills, substance abuse prevention, and preventive health activities (including smoking avoidance, nutrition education, and pregnancy prevention); "(2) to help children who are likely to remain in foster care until 18 years of age receive the education, training, and services necessary to obtain employment; "(3) to help children who are likely to remain in foster care until 18 years of age prepare for and enter postsecondary training and education institutions; "(4) to provide personal and emotional support to children aging out of foster care, through mentors and the promotion of interactions with dedicated adults; and "(5) to provide financial, housing, counseling, employment, education, and other appropriate support and services to former foster care recipients between 18 and 21 years of age to complement their own efforts to achieve self-sufficiency and to assure that program participants recognize and accept their personal responsibility for preparing for and then making the transition from adolescence to adulthood. "(b) APPLICATIONS.— "(1) IN GENERAL. — A State may apply for funds from its allotment under subsection (c) for a period of five consecutive fiscal years by submitting to the Secretary, in writing, a plan that meets the requirements of paragraph (2) and the certifications required by paragraph (3) with respect to the plan. "(2) STATE PLAN.—A plan meets the requirements of this paragraph if the plan specifies which State agency or agencies will administer, supervise, or oversee the programs carried out under the plan, and describes how the State intends to do the following: "(A) Design and deliver programs to achieve the purposes of this section. "(B) Ensure that all political subdivisions in the State are served by the program, though not necessarily in a uniform manner. "(C) Ensure that the programs serve children of various ages and at various stages of achieving independence. "(D) Involve the public and private sectors in helping adolescents in foster care achieve independence.
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