Foster Youth Guaranteed Income Program

Applicants must meet ALL four eligibility criteria listed below:

1. FOSTER YOUTH STATUS – Participants must be youth who meet one or more of the following requirements. 

Former Foster Youth who:

• Exited foster care services after the age of 16 OR 

Current Foster Youth who: 

• are within 90 days of transitioning out of foster care at the time of first payment (January 15, 2027) 

Please note that the original County of jurisdiction need not be the County of Sacramento. Additionally, payments would be discontinued for selected participants who re-enter foster care. 

2. AGE – Participants must be ages 16-23 at the start of payments (January 15, 2027). Once a participant turns 25, payments are discontinued (i.e. “age out” of the program). 

3. INCOME – Participants’ household income is at or below 300% of the federal poverty level (see below).  

• Household of 1: $46,950/Year 

• Household of 2: $63,450/year 

• Household of 3: $79,950/year 

• Household of 4: $96,450/Year 

• Household of 5: $112,950/Year 

• Household of 6: $129,450/Year 

• Household of 7: $145,950/Year 

• Household of 8: $162,450/Year 

• For each additional household member, add $16,500 

https://www.coveredca.com/pdfs/FPL-chart.pdf  

4. RESIDENCY – Participants must either: 

• Maintain residency in the City or County of Sacramento; students who are attending school outside of the City and County of Sacramento, but who still maintain a primary residency in the City or County also meet the residency requirement OR 

• Be a current member of the homeless community receiving services within the City or County of Sacramento 

Note: Immigration status does not impact eligibility. Applicants of any immigration status are welcome to apply. 

A link to the online application can be found on UWCCR’s website’s FYGIP page starting October 1, 2026. Any eligible individual can submit an electronic application via the application link. Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on October 31, 2026. Applications are only available electronically. 

For those interested, community-based organizations will be available to provide in-person assistance to complete the online application. The list of community-based organizations will be available on the Program webpage. You may also call UWCCR’s GI Program staff at 916-237-7598 or email at UWGI@uwccr.org if you have additional questions or need further assistance with the application. 

We have tried to keep documentation minimal but will need some documents to verify that you meet the eligibility criteria. Some examples of documents that will help establish your eligibility are listed below, but the list is not all-inclusive. We will work with you individually after you are selected into the program if you have questions about this.

Documents that verify the applicant previously or currently receives foster care services:

• If currently receiving foster care services, a conditionally selected applicant can acquire and submit to UWCCR staff a Foster Youth Verification Letter from a County of Sacramento child welfare worker or Probation Department officer. 
• If no longer receiving foster care services (i.e. has ‘exited’ foster care), an applicant can acquire and submit to UWCCR staff a letter from the state ombudsman office.
• If you do not have documentation verifying your foster care status, you can request verification through the California Foster Care Ombudsperson’s Office using the link to the form below. This documentation may be required during the onboarding process.
  • Request verification: https://fosteryouthhelp.ca.gov/verification-request-form/
  • Questions? Contact the Foster Care Ombudsperson’s Office at 1-877-846-1602.

Documents to verify age/identity: 

• Native American Tribal Photo ID/Enrollment card 

• Driver’s License or State ID  

• US Passport 

• Non-United States Passport 

• Military ID 

• Green Card 

• Certification of naturalization (Form N-550 or N-570) 

• Certificate of citizenship (Form N-560 or N-561) 

• Learner’s Permit 

• Temporary Visitor Driver’s License 

• Other governmental or Tribal issued photo ID 

Documents to verify residence in the City or County of Sacramento:

• Driver’s License, state ID or government issued photo ID issued within the last 90mdays (applicants may use this for both identity and residency verification) 

• Auto Insurance card 

• Lease Agreement or mortgage payment documents with home address, indicating current residency from a recent month 

• House deed with full address and applicant’s name 

• Utility bill, landline phone bill, internet bill or property tax bill in applicant’s name from last 90 days with service address 

• Paycheck stub with address information within last 3 months with full address  

• Public Assistance/benefit card or letter with full address 

• Military ID with issues and expiration dates and full address 

• Medical Insurance card or registration paperwork 

• Residency verified by a current service provider 

PLEASE NOTE: If you are currently unhoused but are receiving services from the City or County of Sacramento, you are still eligible. Any formal letter or document from the City or County of Sacramento (such as a statement of public benefits), or from a local non-profit that serves the homeless community in the City or County of Sacramento, will be acceptable documentation to verify you are in the City or County.

Documents to verify household income:

• Notice of Action or proof of participation in CalFresh, Medi-Cal, CalWORKs, etc.  

• Most recent Federal Income Tax Form (Form 1040, Schedule C or other filed tax form) 

• Wage documents from a relevant time period for all adults in the home that earn income:  

• Letter on company letterhead with gross monthly/annual income 

• Bank statement showing income deposits/transactions 

Household means the applicant and any other individuals in the applicant’s household whose income, financial resources, and living expenses are interconnected. We will ask you to verify income during onboarding for each household member. 

• If you are married or have a domestic partner and are living with them, you and your spouse/partner are considered one household PLUS anyone like children, siblings, or friends who regularly live with you and who regularly share income and expenses. 

• If you are unmarried and don’t have a domestic partner, your household includes: 

People who share a residence but maintain independent finances and do not regularly financially support one another are NOT considered part of your household (i.e. you all separately contribute to rent payments). 

• If you are a minor, your household includes yourself and any parent(s) or legal guardian(s) with whom you live and any other household members who share income and expenses. 

One-hundred eligible applicants will be randomly selected after the application period closes on October 31, 2026. We will use a random number generator to make the initial (conditional) selection of applicants. The randomly selected applicants will be notified and asked to provide verification of their eligibility before enrollment. We will also conduct individual meetings with the selected applicants to review any potential impact that receiving FYGIP funds might have on their current public benefits.  

If an initially selected applicant is determined to be ineligible or withdraws their application, we will select additional applications via the same randomized and review process until 100 eligible applicants have been selected and enrolled into the FYGIP.  Selected participants will also receive additional information and provide consent to participate before enrollment in the program.

Selected applicants will be contacted and informed of their acceptance by email, phone, and text message by UWCCR staff starting the first week of November, 2026. If you are contacted by UWCCR staff, it is important to respond by the deadline provided. If you do not contact UWCCR staff by the deadline provided, your spot may be given to another participant. If UWCCR staff do not reach out to you about conditional selection by December 18, 2026, it indicates that your application was not chosen through the random selection process.

If you have any questions, you can contact UWCCR’s Guaranteed Income Program staff at 916-237-7598 or email UWGI@uwccr.org.

Enrolled participants will receive $900 per month for up to two years or their 25^th birthday (whichever comes first).

You are free to choose how to best spend the money to meet your needs and further your efforts to achieve important goals in your life. You do not need to do anything to receive the guaranteed income, and you are not required to participate in any services. We will provide regular quarterly events for participants where they can connect with other program participants and learn more about public and private agencies that provide services that could be helpful to you. United Way staff will regularly check in with participants individually as well to see how they can assist you.

Enrolled participants can choose between signing up for a debit card or opening a bank account to receive FYGIP funds. Those interested in the debit card option will provide information to UWCCR staff to be used to sign up for and receive a debit card through a company called Usio before the first payment is sent out. Those interested in opening a bank account will be supported with the necessary steps to open an account with United Way’s Guaranteed Income Program’s banking partner, SAFE Credit Union.

FYGIP funds would then be deposited into your SAFE bank account for you to access as needed. (Note: You do not need to have a bank account in order to participate, but you can get support in getting one set up if you are interested.) Payments will be sent directly to Usio debit cards or SAFE bank accounts on the 15^th of each month, starting January 15, 2026 for 24 consecutive months or the participants’ 25^th birthday (whichever comes first).

No, you do not have to pay the money back.

If a participant permanently moves out of the United States or it is later determined that a participant does not meet the criteria of the FYGIP, the guaranteed income will be discontinued. Additionally, if UWCCR is unable to contact a participant for more than 4 weeks, payments will be paused until UWCCR is able to re-establish contact. If UWCCR is unable to make contact with a participant for 8 weeks, the participant will be removed from the program.

Program participants must update UWCCR if their contact information changes and respond in a timely manner to all communications from UWCCR staff.

Participation in the research component of the FYGIP is greatly appreciated (more on this below) and UWCCR staff will contact participants once a month for the purpose of connecting you with additional resources that may be helpful to you. UWCCR staff will also invite participants to attend quarterly events that provide additional opportunity for participants to connect with other participants and network with other organizations that may provide services that are helpful to participants. These events are designed to be helpful to participants to maximize the benefits of being in the FYGIP.

The State of California, Department of Social Services, has determined that all guaranteed Income (GI) Programs throughout the State are exempt from eligibility calculations for CalWORKs benefits, and pilots or programs that meet certain criteria can also be exempt from eligibility calculations for CalFresh benefits. The FYGIP meets the required criteria; thus, FYGIP payments will not affect eligibility or benefit calculations related to CalWORKs or CalFresh.  Many other benefits have also been assessed and will not be impacted, such as Tribal TANF, housing subsidies through the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency (SHRA), subsidized childcare through DHA for CalWORKs participants, and WIC for families who also receive CalWORKs, CalFresh, and/or Medi-Cal.  

However, FYGIP funds may change your total household income threshold and your eligibility for other benefits not listed above. It is every applicant’s responsibility to take this into consideration and make the best decision for their themselves if selected for the program. It is highly recommended that each individual household additionally check and confirm their benefits status with their Case Worker at the agency administering their current benefits (for example, the local Social Security Administration office should you receive a benefit like SSI).   

Your eligibility for public benefits will NOT be affected by simply applying for the FYGIP. If you apply and are selected, a UWCCR staff member will schedule a one-on-one meeting with you to discuss the possible impact that participating in the GIEC may have on any current public benefits you receive. If it looks like your benefits will be negatively impacted, UWCCR staff will discuss with you the possible impacts. However, UWCCR staff do not give legal advice or make formal benefit impact decisions for other entities. It will be your responsibility to carefully consider your individual situation, talk with the entities from whom you are receiving benefits (SSI, DHA, etc.) and then make the best decision for you as to whether you would like to proceed with participating in the FYGIP.

The tax treatment of guaranteed income payments depends on the funding source, program structure, participant eligibility criteria, and applicable federal and state tax law. Participants should consult a qualified tax professional regarding their individual circumstances. Please note that this program includes both public (City of Sacramento) and private funds.

Yes. MEF Associates will be leading the evaluation to understand how receiving a guaranteed income affects former foster youth over time. MEF will administer annual surveys to assess impact of these payments on participants’ lives, particularly as it pertains to health and financial well-being, housing, school or work, and belonging and community.  The surveys include… 

• Baseline and annual follow-up surveys: Applicants will complete a short eligibility screening and a baseline survey. This survey is mandatory for participation in the program; however, many questions are optional. MEF will also invite participants and a subset of applicants who were not selected to participate in the program to complete follow-up surveys after one year and at the end of the program.   

All data will be confidential, and MEF Associates will never identify participants by name in any reports or written materials. However, MEF Associates will be sharing this data with United Way California Capital Region (UWCCR). 

UWCCR will use information from the program to understand how participants are doing and whether the program is making a difference. UWCCR may combine information from many participants and use it in reports to the City of Sacramento, annual reports, fundraising materials, and efforts to support and expand guaranteed income programs. UWCCR will report results in summary form and will not identify individual participants. 

UWCCR also needs to collect and use information that can identify participants for program administration and evaluation. This may include linking participants’ survey responses with information about the services participants receive from UWCCR and partner organizations. This helps UWCCR operate the program, evaluate outcomes, and identify opportunities for additional services and support for participants. 

UWCCR will not use participants’ name, photo, or personal story in public reports, marketing materials, or other communications without express written permission.

Applicants will complete the baseline survey as part of their online application. Altogether, the application survey should take about 30 minutes to complete.    

Participants will receive more information about how to complete the annual follow-up surveys after they have been selected into the FYGIP and the research study. 

If you have questions or concerns about the research study, you can contact the MEF Associates research team measurelstudy@mefassociates.com.