In August 2020, the Washington State Department of Commerce: Office of Homeless Youth (OHY) allocated $1 million in CARES Act funding to DCYF to provide stipends to young adults who aged out of Extended Foster Care at age 21, between March 1, 2020, and Dec. 31, 2020. The purpose of the funding was to support housing stability for these youth during the COVID-19 crisis.
Gov. Jay Inslee signed a proclamation today that would prevent foster youth from aging out during the pandemic.
Senate Bill 6560 required the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) and the Office of Homeless Youth (OHY) to develop a plan that ensures no young person will be discharged into homelessness from a system of care.
We are worried about young people aging out of foster care into a damaged economy with fewer job opportunities. It would be even more terrible if those youth were to lose their housing on top of that.