In some places, youth in Extended Foster Care must travel to an in-person meeting each month to physically receive their EFC stipend. This can be very burdensome for youth who are also working or in college, and who may not have access to reliable transportation. During the pandemic, this left many youth without access to their stipends.
By using direct deposit to distribute extended foster care stipends, you can eliminate unnecessary barriers and ensure that youth receive their stipends reliably.
Make it a practice to open a bank account for each youth as part of your onboarding process. This is the bank account you will use to direct deposit their stipends. You should be able to set up a direct deposit process through your existing accounting system.
1 of 54 states and territories have implemented this recommendation.
Connecticut Department of Children and Families