PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The Philadelphia Department of Human Services is trying to find current and former foster youth who are eligible for an emergency relief payment.
Congress passed the "Supporting Foster Youth and Families Through the Pandemic Act" in December, appropriating money for $200 payments to those eligible.
In Philadelphia, that means people who were in foster care as teenagers and are now 22 to 26 years old, as well as current or former foster youth between 14 and 21 years old, who have children of their own.
The relief comes in the form of pre-paid debit cards but they have to be used by the end of September, so DHS officials are trying to reach as many eligible youth as possible while the cards are still active.
The city has a survey for those who think they may qualify for the relief payments. It's available in five languages: English, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, Vietnamese, and Khmer.