NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — Every year, nearly 20,000 young people age out of the foster care system across the country—more than 800 of them right here in Tennessee. Without a strong support system, many face overwhelming challenges, including homelessness, substance abuse, and incarceration.

As the school year enters its mid-point, many children begin to feel the weight of academic demands, social pressures and extracurricular commitments. Mid-year stress differs from the typical beginning-of-year excitement or end-of-year exhaustion.

The Youth Villages Intercept Program here in Greenville impacts at-risk youth in our community and across the state. The idea of “Intercept” is to reach kids who are at risk of being placed outside of the home, coming home from a foster care placement or mental health hospital and keeping them with their families in a healthy, successful living space.