Youth involved in the child welfare system disproportionately face mental health challenges compared to those living with their parents. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 80% of youth in foster care experience a mental health challenge.

Nykeya, a 21-year-old participant in LifeSet, understands firsthand the effects the foster care system can have on one’s mental health. At age 10, Nykeya was placed in a shelter after her mother was incarcerated. Nykeya’s experience of being separated from her family was difficult.

“Being in the system at a young age impacted my mental health because I didn’t understand what being a foster child was,” Nykeya said. “I didn’t know there was a community of people to support those in foster care, and I believe that made things harder for me.”

After her shelter placement, Nykeya and her brothers were placed with a foster family. The family was not a good fit for her and her brothers, and the time spent there was short.

In their second foster home, Nykeya and her brothers found a home they could thrive in.

However, being in a stable and positive home was not enough to overcome her inability to trust others.

“At times, I didn’t feel I was part of the family because I wasn’t blood related to my foster parents,” Nykeya said. “It took me years to learn how the experiences from my childhood were affecting me now, even in a stable environment.”

After high school, Nykeya’s next step was college, and her case worker referred her to LifeSet, an intensive, community-based program that acts as a bridge from foster care to successful adulthood for young people who experienced foster care.

At first, Nykeya was hesitant to participate because she didn’t want to be let down again. This time, though, was different.

“I met with a specialist, and my conversation with her was why I agreed to be a part of the LifeSet program,” Nykeya said. “It was the first time I felt like I was being heard.”

As she began her college journey at Jackson State University, Nykeya had a lot of anxiety and didn’t know how to make friends in a new place. LifeSet Specialist Ariel Coleman became her support system.

“Ariel was my best friend and older sister,” Nykeya said. “At times, she was also my own suicide hotline.”

With Ariel’s help, Nykeya applied to be a LifeSet Scholar, which provides a mentor for additional support. Soon after becoming a Scholar, Nykeya received a new LifeSet specialist, Scherri Epps, as Ariel was moving away.

“I was nervous, but Scherri is my persistent mother figure,” Nykeya said. “I’ve always been independent, but Scherri makes sure I do everything I need to.”

During the first two years of college, Nykeya’s biggest struggle was housing. She lived on campus, but over school breaks, she had to move out and then back in. With Scherri’s help, Nykeya quickly found an apartment and moved in over the Christmas break in December 2024.

“I get to have my own space and have my brothers over,” Nykeya said. “We now have time together because of the apartment.”

This past April, Nykeya and four other young adults who experienced foster care attended the Achieving Success Summit in San Antonio, Texas. This was the first time Nykeya had the chance to advocate for those with lived experience — and her first time on an airplane!

“Once I got there, it felt nice to tell my story and hear other people’s stories,” Nykeya said. “We got to talk about challenges and find solutions with people who can make change.”

Nykeya knows her advocacy doesn’t stop here. She wants to be a voice for those who feel no one cares about how a childhood experience can affect one’s mental health in adulthood. She is advocating for not only 10-year-old Nykeya, but also for her brothers and the foster care community.

“Growing up, I didn’t think my voice mattered,” she said. “I felt like a statistic or something someone could just check off. I want to change that for others in similar situations and let them know that someone does see them.”

About Youth Villages – Mississippi

In collaboration with the Mississippi Department of Child Services, our Mississippi services focus on strengthening families to prevent or reduce the need for out-of-home placements (Intercept, MYPAC, and Wraparound) and supporting youth who age out of foster care or lack a stable caregiver as they transition to adulthood (LifeSet).

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