Students who are eligible Students in Temporary Living Situations (STLS) (e.g., lack of fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, including students/families who are doubled-up or couch surfing due to loss of housing or economic hardship, or staying in an emergency or transitional shelter) for the 2021-22 school year may qualify for these checks. Additional rounds of eligibility may follow.​

Students in temporary living situations must enroll in the STLS program at their school to be eligible for the check. Families/students in temporary living situations should contact their school's STLS Liaison to verify eligibility and complete STLS enrollment for the 2021-22 school year. Every STLS-eligible student in a family should be enrolled in the STLS program. There is no deadline to register as STLS, but registration for a check through the Chicago Families Forward Fund must be submitted by October 1. More information about STLS eligibility and enrollment is available at cps.edu/stls, or you may contact the STLS program directly at 773-553-2242 or STLSinformation@cps.edu.

To find out if your child and family are eligible for STLS services, contact the STLS liaison at your school. Every CPS school, including charter schools and options schools, has an STLS liaison. For other questions about the STLS Program, please call 773-553-2242 or email STLSInformation@cps.edu.

The funds can be used for any essential educational and household needs like educational supplies, transit cards, housing costs, and food. The funds cannot be used to buy alcohol, tobacco products, cannabis products, weapons, and fireworks.

Yes. Checks are awarded on a per student basis. If there are two students in a household who meet the program requirements, that household could receive two $500 checks. However, if one student meets the requirements while the other student does not, that household would only be eligible to receive one $500 check.

At the present The Chicago Families Forward Fund is only awarding funds for the 2021-22 school year. Future rounds of funds are yet to be determined.

Yes. In addition to our Moving Forward Together initiatives and Chicago Connected program, families needing supplemental assistance are encouraged to look through the supports offered by the Chicago Department of Family & Support Services (DFSS) and the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS).

You are also eligible to receive an internet hotspot through Chicago Connected, free school supplies, waived school fees, and free transportation for some students (contact your STLS liaison to determine if you’re eligible). Talk to your Liaison for other resources including winter coats, other clothing items, and tutoring services.

Once you have been confirmed as eligible, CPS uses the contact information collected through the registration form to notify you when your check is ready to be picked up at your child(ren)’s’ school. Checks will be distributed on a rolling basis prior to December 31st.

If a student is under 18, a parent or guardian of the student must come in person to pick up the check from the student’s school office. If a student is 18 or older, they may pick up the check themselves.

Yes, unaccompanied homeless youth who are under 18 are eligible to receive Chicago Families Forward Fund support. Please make sure that your school’s STLS Liaison is aware that you are an unaccompanied minor. In these cases schools will have alternative means of providing funding, including issuing a check to a non-guardian adult caregiver or providing a gift card to an unaccompanied minor instead of a check. Determination of the most appropriate method of payment will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

If the parent is listed as the primary contact in Aspen, they should provide a photo identification card to confirm identity (i.e. driver’s license, State ID, or any other photo identification card, etc). However, if the person is not listed as a parent or guardian  in Aspen,  they should provide proof of Guardianship or Custodianship which may include, but is not limited to, the following:

• A valid court order;
• The most recent tax return naming the child as a dependent;
• Health insurance coverage for the child;
• Any public aid documents covering the child; or
• Appropriate documents authorizing or establishing custodianship.

If opening a bank account is not an option, here is a list of other methods available to cash checks:

PayPal

First-time PayPal mobile app users:

1. Download the PayPal Cash Plus app
2. Create a free PayPal Cash Plus account

Returning PayPal mobile app users:

1. Open the “Cash a Check” feature in the app
2. Follow the prompt to take a picture of the check

Cash will then become available either immediately (for a 1% fee) or within 10 days (for free). PayPal account balances can be used to make online payments or withdraw the cash using the app’s “Get Cash” feature.

Walmart

1. Bring the check and a valid ID to a Walmart MoneyCenter*
2. If using an interactive kiosk, follow the prompts on the screen to cash the check OR present materials to the desk attendant.

Walmart charges a maximum of $4.00 to cash checks under $1,000.
*Not available at Walmart Neighborhood Markets

Mariano’s

1. Bring the check and a valid ID to a Mariano's store
2. If using an interactive kiosk, follow the prompts on the screen to cash the check OR present materials to the desk attendant.

Mariano’s charges a maximum of $4.50 to cash checks under $2,000.