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. To help, the Washington State Department of Commerce: Office of Homeless Youth allocated $1 million in CARES Act funding to DCYF to provide stipends to young adults who will age out or have aged out of Extended Foster Care at age 21, between March 1, 2020, and Dec. 31, 2020.
The purpose of the funding is to support housing stability for youth who exited the Extended Foster Care Program at age 21.
Eligible youth will receive $800 per month for each month that they were eligible. For example, youth who turned 21 years old in March 2020 could be eligible for up to $8,000 over the 10-month period. Youth who turned 21 years old in April will have nine months of eligibility and will receive a total of $7,200.
Youth who receive Social Security Income (SSI) will receive $100-$800 per month based on their current benefits. This range allows these youth to receive additional funds without jeopardizing their SSI and putting them over in resources per social security rules. These youth will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
The youth who turned 21 years old between March 2020 and September 2020 will receive one check for every month they have been out of foster care through October. They will then receive one check per month, including the month of December 2020. There is a possibility that all eligible youth will receive an additional check at the end of this period to ensure that all funds have been allocated.
If you currently work or have worked with a young adult that meets these qualifications, please reach out to them directly and assist them in applying.
How to Apply
Send an email to dcyf.adolescentprograms@dcyf.wa.gov with the youth’s name, address and contact information before Nov. 13, 2020. If you do not have access to email, please call Sherrie Flores at 360-489-5280.