Before authorizing PAL Aftercare Room and Board, PAL staff or the PAL contractor must ensure the young adult:

  •   is between ages 18 and 21;

  •   is in DFPS conservatorship the day before turning 18;

  •   is not living with a designated perpetrator of abuse or neglect, unless DFPS determines the perpetrator does not pose a threat to the young adult’s health and safety;

  •   can prove financial need. DFPS gives priority to young adults who do not receive adequate assistance from another source to meet minimal room and board needs; and

  •   is in an educational program, employed, or actively seeking employment (for those who are able to work), or receiving pre-vocational or vocational training services. On a case-by-case basis, a youth or young adult who is homeless, in a homeless shelter, has a special medical condition, or other emergency situation may receive assistance for up to two months without meeting this requirement. The youth or young adult must meet this requirement within two months in order to receive additional assistance.

PAL staff or the PAL contractor must ensure the young adult meets the qualifications listed above before authorizing PAL Aftercare Room and Board payments and case management for a young adult who:

  •   was placed in a Title IV-E by the Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD) or a county juvenile probation department and receives Title IV-E foster care maintenance payments; and

  •   aged out of care in that placement.