NY: Cash Assistance Window Closing for Some of New York’s Former Foster Youth
Imprint – September 27, 2021
As long as he was employed, Jonathan DeJesus always felt secure that he was on track to support himself when he aged out of foster care. But just months before his 21st birthday, he lost his restaurant job when the raging coronavirus pandemic shuttered New York City’s service industry. This month, DeJesus finally breathed a sigh of relief when the state funded his application for a one-time pandemic cash assistance grant for former foster youth. He used the money to pay his rent and phone bill ahead of time, and set aside part of it for a down payment on the braces he’s long wanted to straighten his smile. But at week’s end, thousands of former New York foster youth will lose eligibility for direct financial assistance.
https://imprintnews.org/foster-care/cash-assistance-window-closing-for-some-of-new-yorks-former-foster-youth/59142