Life Skills Training Class

This is a class that is offered to all foster youth who are 16 and older. Often the class is referred to as PAL or PAL class, although it is only one part of the Preparation for Adult Living program.

The class helps train you to live independently and covers these 6 areas:

• Health and Safety
• Housing and Transportation
• Job Readiness
• Financial Management
• Life Decisions and Responsibilities
• Personal and Social Relationships

This program covers at least 30 hours of training. Generally, you will go to class for several weeks in the evenings or on the weekends. In some areas of the state, the organization that provides the training may have you come in for a weekend long program or a program that is held for several days in a row during school breaks. This class introduces you to important things to help you start becoming independent, but you must continue to work on these life skills after you complete the class.

If you have any disabilities that are a barrier to participating in the life skills training class or any other programs/events/services that PAL offers, CPS is required to make appropriate accommodations so that you can participate. If a youth does not speak English and needs an interpreter or class materials in another language, CPS is also required to provide those services.

IMPORTANT! You must successfully complete the work for at least five of the six topics listed above, including financial management, to be eligible to receive the $1,000 Transitional Living Allowance. You can find more information about Transitional Living Allowance in Housing Benefits for Youth Leaving Foster Care. Once you leave foster care, it will be too late to take the class and become eligible for this benefit. Contact your regional PAL staff if you have not been scheduled for a class before your 17th birthday or if your placement is not taking you to the class. You can then contact the Texas Foster Youth Justice Project at (877) 313-3688 if you still don’t get into a PAL class.

In some cases, you may be allowed to complete the life skills training class with an independent study guide. Completing the independent study guide involves an adult working closely with you to supervise and support progress through different projects and tasks. While the class provides a detailed learning experience, this is another option if attending the regular class is not possible for you. If you have not completed some or all of the class areas listed above or you are scheduled to leave care and it won’t be possible for you to be placed in a class before you leave care, you should request that you be given the independent study guide option. Be sure to plan and ask ahead of time as it will take at least 30 hours to complete the study guide.