RISE aid · Foster Care
Housing, school, health coverage, money, and adults who stay. Everything the system stops providing the day you turn 18.
Your checklist, in order.
Each step links to the listings that do that thing near you. Enter a ZIP above to narrow them.
First 72 hours
- 01Ask about extended foster care
Most states let you stay in care to 21 with housing and a stipend. The window to opt in can be short. Ask your caseworker today.
Benefits & cash near you - 02Get copies of your documents
Birth certificate, Social Security card, state ID, medical records, and school transcripts. The agency must give them to you.
ID & documents near you - 03Confirm where you're sleeping
Transitional living programs, host homes, and youth shelters hold beds for people aging out. Don't leave without an address.
Shelter & housing near you - 04Keep your health coverage
Former foster youth qualify for Medicaid to age 26 in every state. Make sure it's active before any gap.
Health & medication near you
First 30 days
- 01Apply for Chafee and ETV funds
Chafee pays for housing and living costs; the Education and Training Voucher pays up to $5,000 a year for school.
Benefits & cash near you - 02Apply for SNAP
You qualify on your own income. Most state offices process former foster youth applications quickly.
Benefits & cash near you - 03Open a bank account
Many credit unions waive fees for youth; some foster care programs match savings.
Benefits & cash near you - 04Find a job or training program
Youth employment programs, Job Corps, and apprenticeships that provide housing.
Jobs & training near you - 05Find an adult who stays
A mentor, a former foster parent, a coach. Programs can match you with someone who isn't paid to be there.
Family & kids near you
First 90 days
- 01Apply for the Family Unification Program voucher
FUP housing vouchers are set aside for youth aging out. Ask your housing authority and your caseworker.
Shelter & housing near you - 02Enroll in school with tuition waivers
Many states waive tuition at public colleges for former foster youth. Financial aid counts you as independent.
Jobs & training near you - 03Get a driver license
Driving programs for foster youth cover lessons, fees, and sometimes insurance.
ID & documents near you - 04Plan for your records and legal needs
Expunge juvenile records where possible; fix your credit if identity theft happened in care.
Legal help near you
Listings for this program
See all and filter by need →211 Utah
Dial 2-1-1 for referrals to food, housing, utilities, health, and more anywhere in Utah.
Lifeline free phone program
Free or discounted phone and service for people on Medicaid, SNAP, SSI, or low income. Apply online or through a carrier.
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Call or text 988 for any mental health or substance use crisis. Available to anyone in any program.
Legal Aid of Wyoming
Federally funded nonprofit law firm giving free civil legal help to low-income Wyoming residents, with offices in Cheyenne, Casper, Lander, and Gillette. Apply by phone or online.
Driver Services Program
Issues Wyoming driver licenses and state ID cards. Renewals, duplicates, address changes, and office appointments can be done through a oneWYO account linked to Login.gov; first-time cards require an office visit with identity documents.
Wyoming SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program)
Food benefits for low-income Wyoming households. Wyoming uses a paper application that can be dropped at any local DFS office, mailed, faxed, or emailed, followed by a phone interview.
Wyoming Medicaid
Health coverage for low-income and medically needy Wyoming residents, including Kid Care CHIP. Apply or renew online through the WES portal, by phone, or with a paper application.
Vital Records Services
State office that issues certified Wyoming birth, death, marriage, and divorce certificates. Located in the Hathaway Building in Cheyenne; Friday visits are by appointment only.
Chafee Independent Living (IL) Program
Transition services for youth who were in foster care after age 14: tutoring and GED or college prep, job readiness, life-skills classes, housing support based on the youth's situation, and planning for education and career goals.
Enroll Wyoming
Free Navigator help signing up for Wyoming Medicaid, Kid Care CHIP, or a Health Insurance Marketplace plan. Navigators meet in person or online and can explain Native Coverage options for American Indian residents.
Cheyenne Workforce Center
One of 18 state Workforce Centers with free help on resumes, job searches, skill building, and career changes. Casper (444 W Collins Dr #1100, 307-234-4591) and Laramie (3817 Beech Street #100, 307-742-2153) have centers too.
Wyoming Housing Network
HUD-approved housing counseling agency in Casper offering rental counseling, financial capability coaching, homebuyer education, and foreclosure prevention. Its property management arm lists affordable rentals statewide.
Stuck on any step?
Call or text and a person will walk you through it. No app, no account.