Eligibility:
To apply, you must meet ALL of the requirements below:
$5,000,000 to support Washington State's most vulnerable low-income families with children.
We are experiencing higher call volume. For the quickest reply please send an email and allow at least 72hrs for a response.
Application will be open for 5 weeks, from February 21, 2023 to March 31, 2023 at 11:59pm.
Applications will be reviewed for 4 weeks, from April 1, 2023 to April 28, 2023.
Decisions and payments will be sent by mid June.
Have questions about the Washington Family Relief Fund?
The Washington Family Relief Fund is a $5,000,000 program to support Washington State’s most vulnerable low-income families who have been and/or continue to be negatively impacted by the COVID-19 crisis.
Yes. Regardless of immigration status, this funding is intended for low income families with children who were and/or continue to be negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Yes. Children should be included in your application, as long as your family is eligible, as per the eligibility criteria listed in Question #1.
If you are the primary caregiver or a guardian of a minor child that is not your biological child, adopted child, or stepchild, you can submit an application as long as you meet eligibility requirements.
For residency documents, you have two options:
If you have a current document from List A which provides proof of your identity and residency in Washington prior to becoming houseless, you can provide it on the application.
If you do not have a document from List A, you can provide a document from List B proving your identity AND a signed and dated letter from one of the people listed in List C proving that you reside in Washington.
For payments, you have two options:
If you are eligible and prefer to receive a physical check or gift card, you may send your payment to someone’s address you trust, within Washington State.
If you are eligible and prefer to receive a physical check or gift card, our partner organizations may be able to help. For instance, you may be able to use an organization’s mailing address to receive a physical check.
No. If you live outside of Washington State boundaries, you may not be eligible.
For families in King County, please check out the Best Starts for Kids Child Care Subsidy for additional funding opportunities.
If you would like to stay updated on future funding opportunities across Washington state, please follow Scholar Fund on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Due to limited funds, we are unable to serve every family. Some eligible families may not receive financial support.
Due to limited funds, we are unable to serve everyone. To support those with the most need, we are prioritizing applicants based on need.
The Washington Family Relief Fund will open on 2/21/2023.
The Washington Family Relief Fund will close on 3/31/2023.
You will need legible documents that confirm your identity and Washington State residency. The table below provides examples of documents you can use. Please ensure you have a clear copy of one item from List A OR one item from both List B and List C.
No. Each household must complete one application.
However, you will be asked to provide information about the number of adults and children in your household. This information is used exclusively to determine your household income. Your household includes the people who share bills (food, expenses, etc.) with you or rely on you for financial support or whom you financially support.
Each family unit should submit their own application that includes their household members. Separate family units that do not share bills (food, expenses, etc.) with you or rely on you for financial support or which you do not financially support do not count as part of your household. They should submit an application as their own household unit..
We are only able to offer the application through this online portal that you can complete via an Internet-connected computer or mobile device.
Please give all applicants their Submission ID and tell them to write it down and/or take a photo and save it somewhere. This number is very important to track the status of their application.
If you need to update or correct an error on your application after it has been submitted, please submit a new application with your updated information.
Due to the anticipated high number of applications, there will not be an appeal process.
If your household submits multiple applications by mistake, Scholar Fund (Scholarship Junkies) will be able to identify that multiple applications from the same household were submitted and will review the application that conveys the higher need. They may also contact applicants via phone or text if they detect application issues.
Applications will be reviewed between April 1, 2023 and April 28, 2023. Notifications will go out to the email address linked to your account and via text message after May 1, 2023. You may look up the status of your application at any time at www.wafamilyrelief.org/status. Please be patient as we are reviewing applications and prioritizing funding those with the highest need.
You can apply to receive a one-time direct payment of $250 per eligible child. You can receive the money as a check, physical gift card (Visa), virtual gift card or ACH, which is a direct deposit into your bank account.
Yes, families who are selected are only able to receive a one-time payment.
Payments will be released to the community after May 1, 2023. Checks and gift cards mailed may take longer to receive and we expect everyone will receive payment within 14 days after you have been given your award notice.
There are four options for receiving payments: Check, Direct Deposit (ACH), a Physical Gift Card, or a Virtual Gift Card.
Yes, you can change your form of payment after you have been approved. Please contact Scholar Fund at (206) 866-6279 or at payments@wafamilyrelief.org with your name, submission ID, and what form of payment you would prefer.
You are able to retrieve funds from an ATM using your gift card, but you may be subject to a withdrawal fee or limit depending on the ATM.
No, all payments are made as grants and classified as disaster relief under the IRS and should not be included as taxable income.
No. According to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), “disaster relief" benefits, such as this program, will not be considered in determining whether an individual is a public charge. You can also read this USCIS Public Charge Fact Sheet for more information. If you have questions about your immigration status and/or use of benefits, you should speak with an immigration attorney or DOJ-accredited representative.
No. Receiving financial aid from the King County Immigration Fee Support will not impact your ability to become a U.S. citizen. It will also not impact the ability of a lawful permanent resident/green card holder family member to become a U.S. citizen. If you have questions about your immigration status and/or use of benefits, you should speak with an immigration attorney or DOJ-accredited representative.
No, all payments are made as grants and classified as disaster relief under the IRS and should not be included as taxable income.
The nonprofit organization Scholar Fund (Scholarship Junkies) does not voluntarily share your data with government entities, including King County. Scholar Fund is responsible for collecting the personal information you voluntarily submit on the online application for the King County Immigration Fee Support. To help prevent unauthorized access, maintain data accuracy, and ensure the correct use of information, Scholar Fund (Scholarship Junkies) has instituted appropriate physical, electronic, and managerial procedures to safeguard and secure the information they collect. You can learn more about the Scholarship Junkies comprehensive Privacy Policy here (English only).
Personal information will never be voluntarily shared with the government, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or ICE, other law enforcement, your landlord, your employer, or anyone else. All information is stored securely in an encrypted format so it cannot be accessed.
According to our contract with Washington State Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF), the only people with access to an applicant’s personal information are Scholar Fund (Scholarship Junkies, the community organization that manages the fund). We will not share your information with anyone else. But if there is a legal subpoena, we may be legally required to release personal information. It’s unlikely that this would happen, but not impossible.
Demographic questions are asked to better understand who we are serving with the Washington Family Relief Fund. Your answers will have no effect on your eligibility, and you can choose not to disclose any demographic information. The information you provide will never be shared with Washington State or any other government agency with your name attached to it.
In order to identify fraud, avoid duplicates, and maintain household disbursement limits, Scholar Fund (Scholarship Junkies) has developed several mechanisms to screen and check applicants to spot discrepancies, which includes a thorough application review process, spam filters, and address verification. They may also contact applicants via phone or text if they detect application issues.
If you discover that an applicant has been approved and/or funded multiple times, please notify Scholar Fund at (206) 590-8348 or support@wafamilyrelief.org. If applicants apply using different names or slightly different information, it makes deduplication difficult. However, we can stop payment if it has not been cashed.
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INCOME ELIGIBILITY CHART
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