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Preparation for Adult Living (PAL) Services/Benefits

TransitIonal Living Allowance

After Care Room and Board

Extended Care

Return to Care

Education and Training Voucher (ETV) Program

Tuition and Fee Waiver  (provided by Texas Law)

Transitional Medicaid / STAR Health

Texas Youth Hotline

Texas Youth Connection

Transition Planning / Circles of Support

Region 03 Specifics: (19 counties in N. Central TX)

Preparation for Adult Living (PAL) Services/Benefits  The Preparation for Adult Living (PAL) program of DFPS helps older youth in foster care prepare for their departure and transition from DFPS care and support. Supportive services and benefits are provided to eligible youth up to age 21 to increase self-sufficiency and productivity.  Funded by PAL Chafee Foster Care Independence Program federal funding, State GR and/or community match (twenty per cent):

§  Life skills assessment (Ansell-Casey Life Skills Assessment) to assess strength and needs in life skills attainment 

§  Life skills training in core areas, including money management, job skills, and planning for the future

§  Educational/vocational services

§  Supportive services (based on need and funding availability), that may include:

o      graduation items

o      counseling

o      tutoring 

o      Driver’s Education

o      mentoring

§  Transitional Living Allowance up to $1000 - distributed in increments up to $500 per month, for youth who participate in PAL training, to help youth with initial start-up costs in adult living.

• Must have been in FPS paid foster or Medicaid-paid substitute care within the 24 months prior to initiating the allowance;

• Must be a U.S. citizen or qualified alien;

• Must have completed at least five hours of training in each of five of the six PAL life skills core elements, one of which must be Money Management (Any substitution of training hours or variance must be approved by the regional PAL supervisor);

•  Must be making or have made a planned move into an independent living arrangement, or a supervised or semi-supervised setting;

• Must not be living with a designated perpetrator while receiving assistance;

• Must be employed, be actively seeking employment (for those youth who are able to work), be enrolled and attending school or college, or be receiving prevocational or vocational training services; and

• Must provide all information required by regional CPS staff.

Note: All payments must be made by the young adult's 21st birthday.

§  Aftercare room and board assistance (based on need) up to $500 per month for rent, utilities, utility deposits, food, etc.  (not to exceed $3,000 of accumulated payments per client)- variances may be considered as appropriate.

• Must be between 18 and 21 years of age;

• Must be a U.S. citizen or qualified alien;

• Must have aged out of foster care at age 18 or older (FPS conservatorship and control must have been maintained until age 18);

• Must be in an educational program, be employed or actively seeking employment (for those who are able to work), or be receiving prevocational or vocational training services; and

• Must prove financial need.  Note: Some time-limited exceptions may be made in special medical or emergency situations.

§  Case management to help youth with self-sufficiency planning and resource coordination.

Extended Care if young people want / need to extend their stay in placement, they can do so to up to age 22 to pursuit their high school diploma, and, effective Sept 1, 2006, they can stay up to age 21 to complete vocational training (the age was previously 19). 

Return to Care  Beginning November 1, 2007, DFPS will begin a Return to Care Program for youth (18-20 yrs) who have aged out of the CPS foster care system and who desire to return to CPS paid care in order to:

§  Attend high-school or GED course (up to age 22);

§  Attend a vocational or technical program (up to age 21); or

§  Return on a break from college or a technical or vocational program for at least one month, but no more than 4 months (up to age 21). 

Education and Training Voucher (ETV) Program.  ETV is a federally-funded (Chafee) and state-administered program. Young people ages 16 to 23 may be eligible for up to $5000 of financial assistance per year to help them reach their postsecondary educational goals. Youth who were in state custody / foster care are eligible if they meet the following criteria:

§  Must have completed a high school diploma or equivalent and enrolled at least part-time (6 hours) in an accredited or pre-accredited public or non-profit program that provides a bachelor's degree or not less than a 2 year program that provides credit towards a degree or certification; or

§  If youth is beyond the age of compulsory school attendance (age 18), she or he must be enrolled at least part-time (6 hours) in an accredited or pre-accredited program that provides training toward gainful employment.

§  Youth participating in the ETV Program on their 21st birthday can remain eligible until 23 years of age as long as they are enrolled and making satisfactory progress toward completing their postsecondary education or training program.

§  Youth interested in Online, Correspondence, and / or Distance courses must Contact ETV staff to seek approval for their program.

For an application, contact one of the following:

PAL Coordinator:

• Rebecca Daniel (817-255-2311)

• Melissa Fogg (214-370-9300 ext 28)

• Jamila Kennedy (817-255-2333)

• Chris Milton (972-221-3910)

ETV Program Specialist:

• David Smith at 512-438-3144.

Tuition and Fee Waiver  (provided by Texas Law) Provides exemption from payment of tuition and fees at Texas state supported institutions of higher education to persons formerly in Texas state foster care, a provision of Texas State Law, Section 54.211 of the Texas Education Code.  While U.S. citizenship or qualified alien status is not required, it is strongly encouraged as young adults without such status will have difficulty obtaining any federal financial assistance at college. To be exempt from the payment of tuition and fees at a Texas state supported institution of higher education, the youth must have been in DFPS Conservatorship on or after:

§  the day preceding the 18^th birthday;

§  the day the youth graduated from high school or received the equivalent of a high school diploma; or

§  the day of the youth’s 14^th birthday, if the youth was eligible for adoption (parental rights being terminated) on or after that day ; or

§  during an academic term in which the student was enrolled in a dual credit course or other course for which a high school student may ear joint high school and college credit; and

§  Enroll in an institution of higher education as an undergraduate¹ or in a dual credit course or other course for which a high school student may earn joint high school and college credit not later than the youth's 25^th birthday².

¹Youth may enroll in AA-level courses or vocational / certificate courses at their local community colleges.

²Youth who meet requirements and are adopted are eligible. 

Transitional Medicaid / STAR Health  Provides continuous medical coverage to persons age 18 to 21 who have aged out any state’s foster care / custody at 18 years of age or older and meet the following eligibility criteria:

§  Must be a current Texas resident between 18 and 21 years of age

§  Must be a U.S. citizen or qualified alien

§  Must have aged out of foster care / DFPS custody at age 18 or

§  Must have no other medical coverage (private insurance or other category of Medicaid)

§  Must not have resources valued at more than $10,000; and

§  Must meet the Texas Department of Human Services (DHS) income guidelines for this category of Medicaid.

§  Must call Jordan Young, DHS Centralized Benefits Section at  1-800-248-1078, ext. 9658 or 512-908-8131 or 8145 to report change of address. 

Texas Youth Hotline is a resource for youth who are under 21 years of age, including those who have aged out of the foster care system. Youth may contact the statewide hotline at 1-800-210-2278 for telephone counseling and information and referrals.  The hotline can help young adults locate services available in their communities 

Texas Youth Connection website, designed with input from youth is a resource for youth in the Texas Foster Care system, alumni of foster care or for youth seeking general tips and information. This website offers information and resources in education, finances, records, diversity, health, contacts, job links, food, housing, books, stories, hotlines and other hot stuff. Check this resource out at: www.texasyouthconnection.org

Transition Planning / Circles of Support The transition plan identifies for each youth what services are needed to accomplish goals for transition. Its use across the state and incorporated into the child’s plan of service helps to ensure all youth are receiving consistent services. Procedures for identifying caring adults for youth and involving them in transition planning and Circles of Support help to ensure personal and community connections are incorporated into the transition planning process.

Circles of Support, a youth driven process based on the Family Group Decision Making model (FGDM) and offered to youth beginning 16 years of age, is a facilitated meeting with participants that a youth identifies as “caring adults” who make up their support system. COS participants can be a youth’s foster care providers, teachers, relatives, church members, mentor and so on. These participants come together to review the young person’s transition plan, including strengths, hopes and dreams, goals and needs in the areas of education, employment, health/mental health, housing, and all PAL life skills training components. A section has been added to the transition plan template to address special needs for youth with disabilities. Each caring adult participant identifies a personal way they can help support the youth’s transition plan and attaining their short- and long-term goals toward self-sufficiency. They then sign the transition plan to seal their agreements. Circles of Support are operating in all 11 regions in the state.  

Region 03 Specifics: (19 counties in N. Central TX)
 
a) Transitional Living Allowance (TLA) - The allowance is given through a series of monthly checks and may not exceed $500 per month.  The total allowance for TLAs is $1000.
 
b) Tuition Waiver Letter - The youth must contact their PAL Coordinator to request this letter one month or more before enrolling in college or vocational school.  The following information will be needed for the letter:

• Date of discharge from care

• Date of birth

• social security number

• current address

c) Driver's Education - Driver's education may be paid for if funds are available. If funds are not available, youth may check with their caseworker for possible resources that may assist with payment of Driver's Education.
 
d) Books and Supplies - Youth should apply to the Texas Education and Training Voucher Program (ETV) to have books and supplies paid for. The ETV application can only be submitted after youth is actually enrolled.
 
e)  Wednesday's Child Benefit Corporation - A $1500 scholarship may be available each year through Wednesday's Child Benefit Corporation (WCBC) for youths who have completes the PAL program and plan to continue their education at a four-year, two-year or technical college. Scholarship applications are available through the PAL office. The application must be completed and returned to the youth's PAL Coordinator in time to reach the WCBC office no later than June 1st of each year preceding the fall enrollment. Scholarships are based on a fall, spring and summer schedule. The funds are divided in to $500 payments for each term and sent directly to the Financial Aid office of the school. Some adjustments can be made if youth is attending a technical school that is not on a tri-semester program.