Last Updated 4/21/20
**FYSA's Economic Impact Payment (Stimulus) Eligibilty Guide**
Emergency Funding
- New Yorker’s for Children - Emergency Relief Funds for Youth Still In Care
- New Yorker’s for Children - Emergency Relief Funds for Aged Out Youth
- Scholly COVID-19 Student Relief Fund
- One Simple Wish - Email info@onesimplewish.org to request assistance with essentials like food, gas cards and other items
- One Simple Wish Laptop Request - Specifically for those who have aged out of care
- Together We Rise Emergency Support - For displaced students in foster care
- iFoster Cell Phone Request - Free cell phones that serve as hot spots to foster youth in California and students that identify as homeless. iFoster indicates they may be able to help with phones in other areas, too
Other Foster Care Resources
- Think of Us COVID-19 Command Center - Ask questions, get answers, get connected to resources.
- FosterClub.com - COVID-19 Information and Assistance for Young People In and From Foster Care
- Beyond The Food Pantry: COVID-19 Response for Students Who are Homeless or With Experience in Foster Care
Employment Resources
- With Many Jobs On Hold, Who's Hiring?
- What Companies Are Hiring During the Coronavirus Crisis?
- NYC Workforce1 Career Center - Launched a Virtual Center to help New Yorkers prepare for, and connect to, jobs across New York City. Current employment opportunities include Stop & Shop, Fresh Direct & PBM Guardian Industry Services.
Foster Youth College Success Initiative (FYCSI)
FYCSI is a NYS program that provides financial assistance and services for students to help with tuition, room & board, books, food, transportation, and other living expenses.
- All students – regardless of immigration status – are eligible to access funding and resources through FYCSI, if they meet the eligibility criteria:
- Are currently a resident of New York State
- Became a foster youth, orphan or ward of the court at any time after your 13th birthday
- Are admitted and enrolled in a SUNY or CUNY college or university, or at a private college or university that participates in the FYCSI program.
If you believe you are eligible for FYCSI:
- SUNY students should contact osei.agyeman@suny.edu
- CUNY students should contact Shirley de Peña at shirley.depena@cuny.edu or (646-477-8570)
- Students at private colleges/universities should email fosteryouth@nysed.gov and then reach out to the HEOP or Financial Aid office on their campus.
New York College Resources
SUNY:
- SUNY Response & Resources
- Any SUNY student with a foster care background can reach out to candi.griffin-jenkins@suny.edu if they need laptops for remote learning
CUNY:
- CUNY Response & Resources
- CUNY Chancellor’s Emergency Relief Fund
- USS CUNY Resource Bank
- CUNY students in the Dorm Project can email Aabha Adhiya (Director of the CUNY Fostering Youth Initiatives) at Aabha.Adhiya@cuny.edu with any related questions or concerns.
- Any CUNY foster youth student that is experiencing difficulty because of the current situation at their residence hall should contact Shirley de Peña at shirley.depena@cuny.edu or (646-477-8570)
- Any CUNY student with a foster care background can reach out to Arlenis.Perez@cuny.edu or aabha.adhiya@cuny.edu if they need laptops for remote learning
- CUNY Foster Care Initiative will host on Friday, April 24th that will help students learn problem solving strategies for distance learning. More info coming soon (contact: Arlenis.Perez@cuny.edu for more info)
- CUNY FYCSI also hosts weekly check-ins with students. If you haven't received your invitation or you are outside of CUNY and looking for support, please email shirley.depena@cuny.edu and she will forward the invitation to you.
Advocacy Opportunities for Youth in Care
- Amplifyapp.org - Amplify is a tool to help youth weigh in on issues that impact your life. Young people age 13-24 can share their thoughts, opinions, and ideas about how to make our communities work better for us!
- SYEP Advocacy- Teens Take Charge made a social media toolkit; a petition folks can sign; talking points; daily actions; and an online opportunity for youth to submit their stories.
- FYSA Youth Advocate Program- A paid internship program for youth in care who are interested in pursuing advocacy. Advocates must be currently or formerly in foster care, 18 years or older and currently in college. Advocates must be able to commit 5-10 hours a week for 9 months.
Free Wellness and Fun
- 7 meditation and mindfulness apps with free tools for coronavirus anxiety
- Meditation apps offer free mindfulness, as social distancing takes a toll
- Free Access to Down Dog Yoga App
- A List of Deals, Freebies, and Emergency Benefits That Companies Are Offering to People in Need During the Coronavirus Pandemic
- Getting Bored? Here's A List Of Free Things That Weren't Free Before Coronavirus
- Free entertainment to help you survive coronavirus social distancing
- Rosetta Stone is offering free language course to students for 3 months
Mental Health Resources
- Free Mental Health Services - Call NYS hotline at 1-844-863-9314 to schedule a free appointment
- List of Critical Mental Health Resources for College Students
New York State Resources
- NYS General:
- NYS Department of Labor (Unemployment):
- NYS Housing:
- New York’s coronavirus eviction moratorium, explained - New York has enacted a statewide eviction moratorium for 90 days
- Have a Question? Call the Coronavirus Hotline at 1-888-364-3065
- NYS Health:
- NYS Medicaid - If you have no income, you likely qualify for Medicaid or other free or low cost health insurance. You can call the NYS Health Department at 1-855-355-5777.
- Mobile COVID-19 Testing Program - Testing is available in Westchester, Nassau, Suffolk, and Rockland Counties, Staten Island, and the Bronx
- Paid Sick Leave for COVID-19 Impacted New Yorkers
- Special Enrollment Period for Uninsured New Yorkers- Through April 15
Resources from NYS Attorney General Letitia James
New York City Resources
- NYC General:
- What You Need to Know Now About COVID-19
- Daily Case Data Update
- City Agency Service Updates
- List of NYC Assistance for Individuals
- Index of All Available NYC Assistance
- To get regular updates on the city’s response and available resources text “COVID” to 692-692
- NYC Benefits:
- NYC Food:
- Emergency Food
- FoodHelp.nyc
- Free Meals for K-12 Students
- Food Hub NYC for Families & Students
- Food Bank for New York City: Search for a soup kitchen or food pantry near you
- SNAP (food stamps) Benefits Online - You can use your EBT card online at ShopRite, Amazon, or Walmart in NYC
- NYC Housing:
- Tenants’ Rights Hotline: 212-979-0611
- The Door - Shelter and Drop-In Sites
- NYC Health:
- 24-hour Domestic Violence hotline: 1-800-621-HOPE
- FREE Mental Health Hotline
- Call 888-NYC-WELL (888-692-9355)
- Text “WELL” to 65173
- NYC Education:
- NYC Other:
- Free Delivery - Invisible Hands will be offering delivery of groceries, prescriptions, and other general errands for those who are elderly, immunocompromised, or are otherwise at-risk individuals.
- myBronxImpact - find free or cost-based local resources in the Bronx
- Coronavirus Financial Impact Loan - Provides interest-free loans of $2,000-$5,000 to residents of any of New York City’s five boroughs, Westchester, or Long Island who are facing financial challenges caused by the Coronavirus outbreak.
Nationwide Resources
- https://www.coronavirus.gov
- HUD - COVID-19 FAQs for Public Housing
- IRS - The Department of Treasury and IRS have moved the U.S Tax Filing Day from April 15th to July 15th. You now have until July 15th to file your taxes and paid any owed monies.
- National Domestic Violence Hotline - The Hotline is available 24/7 at 1-800-799-7233 or you can text LOVEIS to 22522 for support and resources.
Internet Resources
- U.S Providers Offering Free Wi-Fi or Special Accommodations for 60 Days
- Until further notice, all Xfinity WiFi Public Hotspots are now open to everyone on the “xfinitywifi” SSID. Find a WiFi Public HotSpot on this map.
Helpful Articles
- F.A.Q. on Stimulus Checks, Unemployment and the Coronavirus Plan - The New York Times
- Coronavirus Stimulus Check Calculator
- List Of Banks Offering Relief To Customers Affected By Coronavirus (COVID-19)
- Who Qualifies for Paid Leave Under the New Coronavirus Law
- New Yorkers’ Coronavirus Questions, Answered
- Coronavirus in New York: Latest Updates
- What you need to know about getting tested for COVID-19 in New York
FYSA Resources
- FYSA’s Website
- FYSA’s Twitter Feed
- The Making College Success Resource Guide - A comprehensive resource for higher education administrators, academic advisors, financial aid officers, and other college/university professionals working to support the academic success of youth with a foster care background.
- Email FYSA at FYSA@childrensaidnyc.org or jhooper@childrensaidnyc.org
*To add or edit any resource listed above please email gkenny@childrensaidnyc.org