Transition Plans
The federal Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008, provides important supports for children and youth in foster care. The purpose of the transition plan is to help older foster youth make a successful transition from foster care to self-sufficiency. OCFS regulations require that whenever a child will remain in foster care on or after the child’s eighteenth birthday, the agency with case management, case planning or casework responsibility for the foster child must begin developing a transition plan with the child 180 days prior to the child’s eighteenth birthday or, where the child is consenting to remain in foster care after his/her 18th birthday, 180 days prior to the child’s scheduled discharge date.
The transition plan must be completed 90 days prior to the scheduled discharge, and must be personalized at the direction of the child. The transition plan must include specific options on housing, health insurance, education, local opportunities for mentors, continuing support services, and work force supports and employment services. The transition plan must be as detailed as the foster child may elect.
Transition planning should begin on day one of a child’s placement into foster care and occur over the life of the case. Transition plans will help older adolescents in care make a successful transition to self-sufficiency. To assist districts and agencies with the new transition planning requirements for older adolescents, OCFS developed the Transition Plan form. Districts and agencies are now required to document transition plans on the form for youth exiting foster care who are 18, 19 and 20 years of age. This new Transition Plan form is intended to assist districts and agencies in developing transition plans with youth that are youth driven and cover the areas that are required by law and regulations to be addressed prior to an older youth leaving care.
Transition Plan is not considered complete until both parts of the form have been completed. When a trial discharge occurs, the Transition Plan form will need to be updated at final discharge. The transition plan forms can be found under “forms” on the OCFS Internet site.