• hands holding a family and a house

    Useful Information for Unaccompanied Youth Experiencing ²ÝÁñÊÓƵlessness

     

    Without a birth certificate, Texas ID card or license, and Social Security card, you cannot function in our society. But many youth experiencing homelessness and foster care enter adulthood without their critical documents. The requirements and processes to obtain these documents can be overwhelmingly complex and many have difficulty providing the needed items to obtain these documents. A new 2019 law provides that young people who are experiencing homelessness or are in foster care can get a free Texas birth certificate, state ID, or driver's license and encounter less restrictive requirements about proof of residency and not need a parent to obtain their birth certificate.

    If youth or advocates still need assistance with obtaining their Identification documents or have other general questions about the process, please reach out to your school counselor or you can reach out to the Texas Foster Youth Justice Project at the (toll-free) hotline at 1-877-313- 3688 or you can email at info@texasfosteryouth.org.

    How ²ÝÁñÊÓƵless and Unaccompanied Youth Can Get Their Texas Birth Certificate and Texas ID Card and Texas Driver’s License

    The on how to get a birth certificate, Texas ID, and/or driver's license was obtained from , Texas Rio Grand Legal Aid. 

    Certification Form to Obtain a Driver's Licence

     

    How to apply for SNAP to get Food for Free

    If you are an unaccompanied, homeless youth, you may qualify for SNAP.  Talk to your counselor to learn more about this or go to the site below.