Alison Mendiola
Extended Foster Care (EFC) in the Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) provides an opportunity for young adults who were a dependent of Washington State at age 18, to voluntarily agree to continue receiving foster care services, including placement services, while working on their goals towards independence. The dependency action will continue if the eligible youth elects to participate in the program on their 18th birthday. Eligible youth who do not elect to participate in EFC on their 18th birthday will have until their 21st birthday to voluntarily request to participate in EFC. Eligible youth may enter and exit the program as needed between the ages of 18 to 21 years old.
Extended foster care services means residential and other support services DCYF is authorized to provide. Services may include, but are not limited to, placement in a licensed, relative, or otherwise approved care, or supervised independent living settings; assistance in meeting basic needs; independent living services; medical assistance; and counseling or treatment.
To be eligible for EFC, youth must meet the following criteria on their 18th birthday:
Extended Foster Care. A number of changes are made to the EFC program, including:
The court shall maintain the dependency proceeding for any youth who is dependent at the age of 18 until the youth turns 21 or withdraws their agreement to participate.
Definitions. Supervised independent living subsidy means a foster care maintenance payment and a housing subsidy. The housing subsidy shall be calculated based on the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development's estimated fair market rent for the total amount of a one bedroom apartment in the county or metro area where the young person intends to reside, minus one-third of the foster care maintenance payment.