PAL staff must inform youth and young adults of the following requirements for receiving the transitional living allowance, and ensure that all requirements are met before providing the Transitional Living Allowance (TLA):

  •   Funds must be available.

  •   The young adult must:

  •   have been in DFPS conservatorship and;

  •   aged out of foster care at age 18;

  •   left the Extended Foster Care Program; or

  •   be legally emancipated;

  •   have been in DFPS-paid or Medicaid-paid substitute care, such as a hospital or Home and Community-Based Services (HCS) home, at some time within the 24 months before initiating the allowance. If a youth has been out of DFPS-paid or Medicaid-paid substitute care for more than 24 months, the youth’s eligibility should be reviewed on a case by case basis. The PAL supervisor may approve a waiver;

  •   have moved or be in the process of moving into an independent living arrangement or a supervised or semi-supervised setting;

  •   not be incarcerated;

  •   meet one of these requirements:

  •   be employed or actively seeking employment (for those youth who are able to work);

  •   be enrolled and attending school or college; or

  •   receiving pre-vocational or vocational training services;

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

  •   provide all required verification information, which may include a rental agreement, or work or pay stubs; and

  •   have completed at least five hours of training in five of the six core areas. One of these five hour trainings must be financial management. See 10220 Required Preparation for Adult Living (PAL) Services.

The regional PAL supervisor must approve any substitution of training hours or variance. PAL staff must document if a youth is unable to participate in training because of his or her level of functioning.