Young adults often need a lot of extra support as they transition into adulthood, with many young adults relying on their family or another trusted adult for that support.  

However, approximately 650 youth across Kentucky age out of the foster care system every year without permanent family connections. Youth who have aged out of foster care often struggle to meet their basic needs, such as food and housing, with 21% of former Kentucky foster youth utilizing public food assistance by age 19. 

Recognizing that food and economic insecurity is a significant challenge among aged-out youth, Congress recently passed new federal rules that will make it easier for these young people to receive and stay on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as food stamps).

Starting September 1, 2023, youth ages 18 to 24 who were in foster care on their 18th birthday will be exempt from SNAP’s work requirements. This means aged-out youth without children will no longer need to participate in 80 hours of work activities in order to receive and stay on SNAP, allowing them to focus on going to school and establishing a life for themselves outside of state care.

Eligible youth who are already enrolled in SNAP should receive notice that they will no longer need to comply with work requirements. If you believe you are eligible for this exemption and have not received notice, you should call the DCBS hotline at (877) 597-2331 to check in on your case. 

For youth who are applying for the first time, the Cabinet for Health and Family Services has added a question to the SNAP application that asks if you were in foster care on your 18th birthday. If you select yes, your foster care status will be confirmed in one of the following ways:

  • If you aged-out of care in Kentucky: Youth who aged-out of care will be systematically verified through the state’s database. You should not have to provide extra verification, but we do recommend having documentation verifying your foster care status on hand just in case. 
  • If you aged-out of care outside of Kentucky: You will need to provide documentation from your state to prove that you aged-out of foster care. Examples of proof include written statements and transition paperwork. If you do not have this paperwork, we recommend calling the foster care agency in the state you aged-out of to see if they can provide you with copies of documents or a statement. 

Please note that this exemption is only for SNAP’s work requirements, and youth will still need to be income eligible in order to receive and stay on benefits. You can learn more about eligibility and apply for the program by visiting Kynect.ky.gov or your local DCBS office. 

Youth aging out of foster care often need some extra support. This change will go a long way to ensuring that youth can get the nutritional support SNAP provides, while also having the time and flexibility needed to establish a life for themselves and pursue higher education. 

We would also like to thank members of Kentucky’s federal delegation, Senator McConnell, Representative Comer, Representative Guthrie, Representative McGarvey, Representative Barr, Representative Rogers, and Representative Massie, for voting in support of this important change.  

To help youth and youth serving organizations, Kentucky Youth Advocates will be releasing additional materials on this change over the next couple of weeks. Please check back for these updates! 

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