What happens when you age out of foster care? The checklist nobody hands you.

The short answer: in most states foster care ends at 18, but you do not have to leave with nothing. You can usually stay in extended foster care to 21. You qualify for Medicaid until you turn 26. The Chafee ETV program can pay up to $5,000 a year toward school or training. Your agency is required to help you get your documents before your case closes. This guide walks through each piece, in the order a caseworker would.

Who this is for

This guide is for young people in foster care who are 16 or older, for young adults who already left care, and for the caseworkers, CASA volunteers, attorneys ad litem, and foster parents who help them. Rules differ by state, so treat every item below as a question to bring to your caseworker, not a promise. Where we cite a federal law, the law applies in every state. Where we say "most states" or "many states," check your own.

1. Decide about extended foster care before your 18th birthday

Under the federal Fostering Connections to Success Act, states can keep young people in care until 21 with federal funding, and most states do. To stay, you generally need to be finishing high school or a GED, enrolled in college or a training program, working, participating in a program that removes barriers to work, or unable to do those because of a documented medical condition. Extended care is almost always opt-in. If you say nothing, your case closes at 18.

Staying in care does not have to mean staying in a foster home. Many states pay toward your own apartment through supervised independent living. Ask your caseworker these questions, in these words, and write down the answers:

• "What does extended foster care look like for me in this state?"
• "What is the deadline to opt in, and what form do I sign?"
• "Can I live in my own place, and how much would the program pay toward rent?"
• "If I leave and change my mind, can I come back before I turn 21, and how?"

Federal law also requires your agency to work with you on a written transition plan before you exit. The plan must cover housing, health insurance, education, mentoring, workforce supports, and where you will get your documents. Ask to see it. If nobody has started one, ask your caseworker's supervisor and your attorney or CASA volunteer. A judge can order the agency to complete it.

If you already aged out and regret leaving, ask about re-entry. Many states allow it before 21. You will usually need to show that you meet one of the school or work conditions above, or that you are willing to start.

2. Get your documents before the case closes

Federal law says youth aging out must receive key documents free of charge. Do not leave without these, and keep them in one place, with photos on your phone as backup:

• Birth certificate (an official certified copy, not a photocopy)
• Social Security card
• State ID or driver's license
• Health insurance information, including your Medicaid ID number
• Medical, dental, and immunization records
• School records and transcripts, plus any IEP or 504 plan
• Proof of time in foster care, usually a letter from the agency with your dates in care. You will need this for Medicaid, ETV, tuition waivers, and FAFSA later.
• Court orders, if any, that affect you after 18 (for example, a name change or an order about siblings)
• A copy of your credit report from each of the three bureaus

How to get them if the agency stalls. First ask your caseworker in writing (an email or text counts) and keep the reply. If nothing happens within a couple of weeks, ask the supervisor. If you have a court date coming, tell your attorney or CASA volunteer so they can ask the judge to order it. Once you are out of care, you can still request your case record and a proof-of-care letter from the state child welfare agency. Ask for the "independent living" or "transition" unit.

3. Health insurance: you are covered until 26

If you were in foster care at age 18 and enrolled in Medicaid at that time, federal law (the Affordable Care Act, extended by later legislation) gives you Medicaid until your 26th birthday, regardless of income. This mirrors what other young adults get by staying on a parent's insurance.

Coverage is not always automatic, especially if you move states or your case closes without a handoff. Steps that work:

1. Before you exit, ask your caseworker to confirm in writing that you are enrolled in the former-foster-youth Medicaid category and to give you your Medicaid ID number.
2. If you lose coverage later, apply through your state Medicaid agency and say you are a former foster youth. Bring your proof-of-care letter and photo ID. Search "former foster youth Medicaid" plus your state, or call 211 and ask for the Medicaid office.
3. If you are denied, ask for the denial in writing. It will state a reason and an appeal deadline. Common errors are that the worker processed you under income rules or did not see your foster care history. Request a fair hearing before the deadline and send your proof-of-care letter with the request. Free legal aid offices handle Medicaid appeals; find yours at lsc.gov.

4. Money for school or training: Chafee ETV

The federal Education and Training Voucher (ETV) gives up to $5,000 per year toward college, community college, or career training if you were in foster care at 14 or older, or left care for adoption or kinship guardianship at 16 or older. Federal rules allow states to fund you up to age 26, for a total of five years, as long as you make satisfactory progress. Some states stop earlier, so ask. ETV can pay for tuition, books, a laptop, rent, childcare, and transportation, and it stacks on top of Pell Grants and other FAFSA aid.

How to apply, step by step:

1. File the FAFSA at studentaid.gov first. If you were in foster care at any time after age 13, answer yes to that question. You are an independent student and do not report a parent's or foster parent's income.
2. Apply through your state's ETV program. Search "ETV" plus your state, or ask your state independent living or PAL office. Some states run ETV through a nonprofit contractor. You will need your proof-of-care letter, an acceptance letter or enrollment confirmation, and a cost-of-attendance breakdown from the school's financial aid office.
3. Renew every term or year. Most programs ask for grades and a new budget each time.

If you are denied or told the money ran out, ask for the reason in writing. Funds are limited in many states and go out in application order, so apply as early as the program opens. Ask the campus foster-youth liaison (most public colleges have one) about state tuition waivers, campus emergency funds, and scholarships from Foster Care to Success. If a caseworker or counselor does not know what ETV is, ask them to connect you with the state independent living coordinator.

5. Housing: know your options before you need them

About 1 in 5 youth who age out becomes homeless almost immediately (National Foster Youth Institute). Line up housing before you exit. Options, roughly in the order to try them:

1. Extended foster care or supervised independent living. The strongest option if you are under 21. Ask about it first.
2. Foster Youth to Independence (FYI) vouchers. HUD rental vouchers for young adults leaving care who are homeless or at risk of it. Your child welfare agency refers you to the local public housing authority; you cannot apply on your own without that referral. Ask your caseworker to start the referral before your case closes.
3. Transitional living programs (TLPs). Housing plus support for young adults, federally funded and run by local nonprofits. Waitlists are common, so apply months ahead.
4. Job Corps. Free residential job training with housing and meals for ages 16 to 24.
5. 211. Dial it in any state to reach shelters, rental assistance, and youth drop-in centers near you. If the first shelter is full, ask 211 for the next one and for the local Continuum of Care youth coordinator.

Signing your first lease. Landlords often ask for credit history, income proof, and a co-signer. Bring your credit report, pay stubs or a letter from your program, and ask your caseworker whether the agency or a local nonprofit can write a reference or cover a deposit. Some transition programs pay first month's rent and deposit directly.

6. Earning a living: jobs and training

You have more paths than anyone told you. WIOA youth programs offer free job training and paid work experience for ages 16 to 24 in every state; walk into your local American Job Center and say you aged out of foster care, which is a qualifying barrier. Registered apprenticeships pay you while you learn. Community college on ETV money costs little or nothing in many states. Job Corps combines training with housing.

Azgari Foundation, the 501(c)(3) that publishes this guide, runs five tuition-free, fully online job-ready training tracks for young adults ages 16 to 25 who are leaving foster care or the juvenile justice system: Marketing Specialist (AI-enabled digital marketing), Bookkeeping & Accounting Clerk, IT Help Desk, Web Developer, and Administrative Assistant. Programs run 16 to 24 weeks depending on the track, at 15 to 20 hours per week, and include job placement support. You can apply directly at azgari.org/apply, or a partner agency or caseworker can refer you. Referred candidates receive priority for open seats. Free means free.

A timeline you can follow

• Age 16 to 17. Ask for your annual credit check. Start collecting documents. Ask about your state's independent living or PAL classes. Get a state ID if you do not have one.
• Six months before 18. Ask for your written transition plan. Decide about extended foster care. Ask for an FYI voucher referral if you will need housing. File the FAFSA if you plan to enroll in school within a year.
• Your 18th birthday. Confirm Medicaid enrollment in writing. Confirm you have every document on the list above. Get your proof-of-care letter.
• After exit. Keep your caseworker's and the independent living office's contact information. You can still call them for ETV, Medicaid, re-entry, and records.