Evans Opening Statement at Markup of H.R. 7343, the “Foster Youth Workforce Opportunity Act”

(As prepared for delivery) 

I am thrilled we are marking up the bill I'm co-leading with Mr. Miller, the Foster Youth Workforce Opportunity Act. This bill will help foster youth who use Chafee ETV vouchers to have greater access to education or training programs. By expanding the use of these ETVs, it gives people more opportunities to prepare for their future careers.

Importantly, the training programs eligible for ETV payments would be the same high-quality programs eligible for Workforce Pell Grants – programs that provide stackable credentials and have demonstrated records of program completion and placement of participants in good jobs. 

The bill also includes an option that many youth asked for, to get extra help while they are in high school so that they have the qualifications they need to be accepted into college, a good training program, or an apprenticeship. The year of ETV that this bill provides to help youth catch up or gain extra knowledge is in addition to the years they could receive an ETV for post-secondary programs and is only for help that is not available through their communities’ free public schools. It is not a replacement for public schools, or for our responsibility to fund them. 

These bills are a good first step to help reform the Chafee program and I look forward to working with my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to help foster youth in this country. 

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