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Chafee Educational and Training Voucher Programs: System Coordination in Rural New England

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Abstract

This paper explores service providers’ perspectives on a series of issues associated with systemic coordination in the implementation of the Chafee Educational and Training Voucher (ETV) Program in three relatively rural states. Findings derived from mail surveys (N = 105) and in-depth interviews (N = 17) with child welfare and educational service providers highlight challenges and innovations related to working with Chafee ETV eligible youth. Findings suggest that raising awareness of the Chafee ETV program’s provisions, improving access to concrete services, and facilitating collaboration among service providers may aid the transition to post secondary education for youth in out-of-home care.

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Acknowledgements

The authors’ wish to thank the following MSW Students for their assistance with this research: Stephenie Bean, Laurie Doucette, Ruth Edmonds, and Kathleen Lamphere. Preliminary results from this research were presented at the Council of Social Work Education Annual Program Meeting in San Francisco, California (October 2007).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Social Work, University of New Hampshire, 239 Pettee Hall, Durham, NH, 03824, USA

    Melissa Wells

  2. Department of Social Work, University of New Hampshire, 241 Pettee Hall, Durham, NH, 03824, USA

    Sharyn Zunz

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  1. Melissa Wells
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  2. Sharyn Zunz
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Correspondence to Melissa Wells.

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Wells, M., Zunz, S. Chafee Educational and Training Voucher Programs: System Coordination in Rural New England. Child Adolesc Soc Work J 26, 103–120 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10560-008-0154-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10560-008-0154-9

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