Post-Emancipation Independent Living Services
Any youth eighteen (18) to twenty-one (21) years of age who EMANCIPATED from foster care is eligible to receive Post Emancipation services from their local Job and Family Services.
If you are an emancipated foster youth who is under the age of twenty-one (21) you are encouraged to contact your local Job and Family Services agency to learn more about what services are available for you. Upon contacting your local Job and Family Services agency, please identify yourself as an emancipated youth and ask to speak with someone in Children’s Services who addresses Independent Living Services. Upon speaking with the Independent Living worker, you two can decide what, if any, services or assistance you would be interested in.
You may determine that you just need assistance with referrals to necessary services; you may determine that you need more intensive ongoing assistance; or you may determine you are not in need of any post emancipation services. You are eligible to at least discuss your options with the Independent Living worker.
Please note if you are seeking post-emancipation services from your local Job and Family Services, you may be required to participate in, agree to, and sign a Post Emancipation Self Sufficiency Plan.
Some types of referrals and assistance available to Emancipated youth include:
- Academic support
- Post-secondary educational support
- Career preparation
- Employment programs or vocational training
- Budget and financial management
- Housing, education, and home management
- Health education and risk prevention
- Mentoring- includes being matched with a screened and trained adult for a one-on-one relationship involving the two meeting on a regular basis. Mentoring can be short-term, but may also support the development of a long-term relationship (if available in your county).
- Supervised independent living including a youth living independently under a supervised arrangement that is paid for or provided by the county agency. A youth in supervised independent living is not supervised twenty-four hours a day by an adult and often is provided with increased responsibilities, such as paying bills, assuming leases, and working with a landlord, while under the supervision of an adult (if available in your county and if you meet the designated criteria).
- Room and board financial assistance including room and board financial assistance that is a payment paid for or provided by the county agency for room and board, rent deposits, utilities, and other household start-up expenses (if available in your county and if you meet the designated criteria).
- Education financial assistance including educational financial assistance that is a payment paid for or provided by the county agency for education or training, allowances to purchase textbooks, uniforms, computers, and other educational supplies; tuition assistance; scholarships; payment for educational preparation and support services, and payment for GED and other educational tests. The financial assistance also includes vouchers for tuition or vocational education or tuition waiver programs paid for or provided by the county agency (if available in your county and if you meet the designated criteria).
- Other financial assistance including financial assistance for any other payments made or provided by the county agency to help the youth live independently (if available in your county and if you meet the designated criteria).