Family & Safety

At what age do my foster care benefits end?

In Illinois, your foster care benefits end about when you turn 21 years old. However, Illinois offers a wide range of benefits for former foster children. 

Healthcare

Former Foster Care Medical Benefits
If you exit foster care, at the age of 18, you will receive up to 12 months of continuing eligibility. It will last until you turn 19 years old. If you exit foster care at the age of 19 or later, you qualify for Former Foster Care medical benefits. It will last until you turn 26 years old. 

The Former Foster Care program covers individuals who received foster care services. Also, the services must be provided by Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). There are certain requirements you need to meet:

• Must be 19 to 25 years old
• Cannot qualify for medical benefits under: 
• Family Health Plans, or 
• Aid to the Aged, Blind or Disabled (AABD)
• Must have received foster care assistance through DCFS until you aged out (exited) at the age of 18 or older
• Must be an Illinois resident
• Must have: 
• Aa Social Security Number (SSN), or 
• A proof of application for a SSNSocial Security Number
• Must meet U.S. citizenship or immigration requirements

Learn more about the Former Foster Care program.

Mental Health Resources

A Home Within provides current and former foster youth with psychotherapy that is:

• Open-ended,  
• Free of charge. 

You can apply today to speak to a provider.

You can also reach out to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI): 

Crisis Text Line: 741741, or 

Ccall (800) 950-NAMI (6264)

Substance Abuse and Addiction

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has a SAMHSA’s National Helpline. The helpline offers referral and information services for mental or substance use disorder treatment. It is:  

• Free, 
• Confidential, 
• 24/7, and
• 365-day-a-year.  

Visit the online treatment locator.

Housing

The Illinois Housing Handbook provides a wealth of information about obtaining and maintaining housing. 

Illinois DCFS also has helpful tools and information on:

• Finding a place to live, 
• Starting a bank account, 
• Applying for credit cards, and 
• Budgeting. 

​Youth Housing Assistance Program

You may qualify for the Youth Housing Assistance Program cash assistance if: 

You are a current or former foster child, and if 

You meet the following requirements:

• You are at least 18 years old and less than 21 years old
• You are under the responsibility of DCFS, and 
• You are ready to have your case closed, or 
• You have aged out of DCFS care
• You have not moved to adoption or subsidized guardianship
• You have completed a budget statement form
• You need cash assistance in order to have or maintain stable housing.

You can receive cash assistance for the following reasons:

• Housing security deposit
• Rent (under certain circumstances)
• Beds 
• Current utility bills or utility deposits
• Appliances
• Partial housing subsidy
• Other items required to avoid or manage a crisis.

This program also provides housing advocacy that can help you locate and maintain housing. Learn more about Youth Housing Assistance. 

DCFS Housing Advocacy

Try using DCFS Housing Advocacy if you need help with:

• Securing affordable housing, and 
• Finding community-based resources. 

Housing Advocacy does not include any money. It only helps finding resources.

To be eligible, you must:

• Be at least 17 ½ and less than 21 years of age, and
• Be legally the responsibility of DCFS within six months of case closure, or have aged out of DCFS care, and
• Have enough income to meet rent and utility costs or be working on obtaining that income. Housing Advocacy can help you find a job.

Homeless youth

You can contact a homeless youth provider if: 

• You lack safe and stable housing, and 
• You are between the ages of 14 and 23 years old.

By contacting a homeless youth provider, you will get access to: 

• Emergency shelter, 
• Transitional living programs, and 
• More. 

See the list of homeless youth providers to find one near you. 

If you are over 23 years old, you can reach out to your county homeless care resource. See the list of county providers to find one near you. 

Family Unification Program (FUP)

FUP is a program that provides youth ages 18 – 21 who have aged out of foster care with a pool of: 

• Housing choice vouchers, and 
• Supportive services. 

A Public Child Welfare Agencies (PCWA) must first determine that you meet the FUP eligibility requirements. They can make a referral to place you on the waitlist for the program.

Besides providing rental assistance, this program also includes information on: 

• Money management skills, 
• Job preparation, 
• Educational counseling, and 
• Proper nutrition and meal preparation. 

If you’re interested in applying for this, you will need to reach out to a PCWA near you to set up an appointment. Learn more about the Family Unification Program. 

Public Housing and Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program

If you don’t have access to FUP vouchers, you may be able to benefit from the Public Housing Program. Public housing residents live in projects that are typically owned by a local public housing agency. Units are subsidized, meaning that you would have to pay rent equal to only 30% of your adjusted gross income. If you move, the subsidy goes to the next resident.

Another program allows Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) recipients to rent housing in the private housing market. HCV recipients will deal with landlords or property managers directly.

Their subsidy is paid directly to the landlord or property manager. Like public housing residents, HCV recipients usually pay 30% of their adjusted gross income in rent. Unlike public housing residents, they may live in any housing that meets minimum health and safety standards. 

Keep in mind that some waiting lists for these options are long or even closed. Young people who receive housing assistance from one of these programs rather than through FUP do not lose eligibility after 18 months. However, they also do not have direct access to the supportive services that former youth in foster care may need.

Education

The Department of Education has developed a Foster Care Transition Toolkit that includes information on: 

• Accessing educational opportunities, 
• Finding a job, and 
• More. 

Foster Progress is another resource that offers information about financial aid for former foster youth.

Filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
All students in Illinois must fill out: 

• The FAFSA, or 
• The Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid. 

Learn more about the FAFSA.

The Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) must make sure all foster care youth have filled out the FAFSA by November 1st of the student’s graduating year. DCFS has caseworkers through its Post-secondary Program that will help you with any questions you may have. 

You can receive money for college if you are eligible meet the eligibility requirements for federal student aid. There is only one question on the FAFSA that relates to being in foster care. The FAFSA form asks, “At any time since you turned age 13, were both your parents deceased, were you in foster care, or were you a dependent or ward of the court?” You should answer “Yes” to this question if at any time since age 13:

• You had no living parent, even if you’ve since been adopted,
• You were in foster care, even if you’re not in it now, or
• You were a dependent or ward of the court, even if you aren’t now.

If you answer “Yes,” you are considered independent for the purposes of Federal Student Aid. If so, you do not need to report parents’ financial and other information on the FAFSA. Learn more about this question on studentaid.gov. 

Education and Training Voucher (ETV) Program

The Education and Training Voucher (ETV) program helps with post-secondary (post-high school) education expenses. These expenses must not be covered by financial aid grants. To be eligible, you must have either:

• Aged out of foster care at the age of 18 or older, or
• Achieved permanency at age 16 or older through either subsidized guardianship or adoption

If you are eligible, you can receive payments of up to $5,000 every year of education for related expenses such as: 

• Tuition, 
• Fees, 
• Books, 
• Supplies, 
• Uniforms, 
• Equipment, and/or 
• Transportation. 

These expenses cannot be covered by other grants or scholarships. You remain eligible for this program until you are 26 years old. However, you cannot participate in the program for more than 5 years total. 

Fill out the application for the Education and Training Voucher if you are eligible. 

For questions related to ETV, the best way of communication is via [email protected].
 

DCFS Scholarship Program

The application becomes available on January 1 each year and is due by March 31. The DCFS Scholarship Tuition Waiver covers tuition and mandatory fees at any of the 12 state public universities or community colleges. It also covers in the state plus some additional benefits, such as a $1,506 monthly stipend and medical insurance until age 26. It also offers a book voucher or reimbursement for books not covered by financial aid and Medical coverage.

This scholarship is available to students for at least 5 years as long as they continue to work toward graduation and the completion of a certificate or degree program. It is available for: 

• Any youth in foster care, or 
• Anyone who has been adopted or in a guardianship from Illinois. 

Check out the Scholarship Program Tip Sheet and find DCFS Form CFS 438 for the current year to apply. 

(Note: Medical insurance varies. Medical coverage is only provided until the age of 24, per DHS. Since 2021, a youth will not get Medicaid approved via I-DHS if the youth:

• Attends out of state schools, or 
• Resides out of state 

will not get Medicaid approved via I-DHS).

DCFS Youth In College Placement

The Youth in College program provides a $1,506 per month stipend. It offers a monthly board payment of $1,506. It also offers a book voucher or reimbursement for books not covered by financial aid.

To qualify for the Youth In College Placement Program, DCFS must have court ordered legal responsibility for the foster youth. 

Tuition and fee waivers

On January 1, 2019 a new law was implemented. It says that youth from foster care in Illinois can receive a tuition and fee waiver if they go to a public, in-state college or university. You must be either still in foster care, or have an adoption or guardianship subsidy. 

Tuition and mandatory fees waiver is available to: 

• Illinois public universities, or 
• In-district community college. 

If the student is awarded the Illinois MAP grant and/or federal Pell grant, these funds may be applied first. Please note that this is applied differently than the DCFS Scholarship waiver. 

Keep in mind that room and board are not included! Be sure to fill out DCFS’s form 438A to receive the waiver. See the Tuition and Fee Waiver Tip Sheet for more information.

Community College Payment Program

The Community College Payment Program applies to allows youth who are:

• Under DCFS Guardianship, and 
• Enrolled in an Illinois community college. 

The program provides them with the opportunity to have their: 

• In-district tuition, 
• Fees, 
• Required books, 
• Supplies, 
• Uniforms and 
• Equipment, 

paid by DCFS if they are not paid by financial aid grants. Payment requests can be submitted for career and technical education programs that are part of the community college curriculum.

To be eligible, you:

• Must be a youth that DCFS is legally responsible
• Must be accepted for enrollment by an in-district community college
• Must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
• Must apply for financial aid through FAFSA within the required deadline set by the college, 
• Designate community college to receive funds, and 
• Provide all documentation requested by the school. 
• FAFSA funding is to be used before requesting payment from DCFS.

Employment

DCFS's Employment/Job Training/Apprenticeship Incentive Program (EJTAIP) provides a monthly stipend while in care. It that can extend beyond age 21 for certain apprenticeship programs.

The Employment/Job Training/Apprenticeship Incentive Program (EJTAIP) is designed to provide financial and supplemental services to help youth gain marketable skills through: 

On-the-job work experience, 

Job training programs, or 

Approved apprenticeships.

To be eligible, you must:

• Be a youth that DCFS is legally responsible for, between the ages of 17 and 21. Youths that are 16 and participating in a Job Corps program are also eligible.
• Have a high school diploma or a General Education Development (GED) certificate
• Complete Casey Life Skills Assessment
• Have one of the following:
• Be involved in job training through a certified job skills training program (e.g., Job Corps, internship), 
• Be working for: 
  • At least one month prior to applying for the EJTAIP, and 
  • A minimum of 20 hours per week or 80 hours a month, or 
• Be participating in an apprenticeship training program approved or recognized by: 
  • The Illinois Department of Employment Security, or 
  • by The United States Department of Labor.

Youth enrolled in an approved apprenticeship are eligible if: 

• In care of the Department, 
• Aged out of care of the Department at age 18 or older, or 
• Achieved adoption or guardianship directly from the Department’s care. 

Youth must be under the age of 26 before enrolling in a qualified apprenticeship program. Youth and must also document active participation. Learn more about DCFS's Employment/Job Training/Apprenticeship Incentive Program. 
 

LGBTQIA+ resources

Lambda Legal’s Youth in Out-of Home Care Project raises awareness and advances reform on behalf of LGBTQ youth in: 

Child welfare, 

Juvenile justice, and 

Homeless systems of care. 

You can visit their page about law in Illinois to learn more about your rights work, healthcare, school, and more. They also have a compiled resources sheet by state that you can check out. 

Financial literacy

Every individual child and adult in the care of the Illinois DCFS Department of Children and Family Services who is placed in foster care has the right to: 

• Have an emancipation bank account, and 
• Manage their personal income. 

Learn about how to open a bank account.

If you are unclear about where to start when it comes to saving and handling your money, it may be a good idea to take a financial literacy course. Hands on Banking has a free financial literacy course that you can take for free and complete at your own pace. They also have a helpful glossary with terms that you make need help understanding. Youth for Youth also has a financial literacy course that you can take for free. 

For more questions, please If you find yourself having more questions, it may be worth checking out some other resources, like Money Under 30., It is a website that provides easy-to-understand information on: 

• Getting a credit card,  
• Investing, 
• Paying off debt, 
• Buying a car, and 
• More. 

Additionally, for information on earning, spending, tracking and more, you can visit The Mint.