Foster youth program hopes Springfield, more SWMO communities will utilize its vouchers for housing

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) - There are more than 3,200 kids in foster care in southwest Missouri. When they age out of the program, they are hit with a lot of economic disadvantages.

It’s a problem that the Foster Youth to Independence Initiative aims to address. The program is organized through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

For Springfield, it turns out the city has extra vouchers through the program that they are currently not using.

The vouchers help make the cost of living an option for those who do not have financial support. The vouchers are based on how much income the applicants currently have.

For one Springfield woman who aged out of Foster Care, it has been a game-changer.

“It’s taken a lot of stress off of me, it’s helping me get back on my feet, and I can connect with a bunch of resources,” Emily Dillon says. “One of the requirements is to connect with specific programs to help you mentor out of financial crisis and those kinds of things. It has saved my skin a little bit.”

The program does have age requirements for those who apply.

For more details on who is eligible, CLICK HERE.

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