From the first moment I heard of Youth Villages, I was hooked. Two Youth Villages employees came to my company’s office five years ago for an informal ‘lunch and learn’ about the organization. They took us through the LifeSet program from its start in Massachusetts in 2009 to its current state and their hope for the program’s growth.
LifeSet participants and staff from New Hampshire recently spoke about the needs of transition-age youth at a meeting of the American Public Human Services Association’s Economic Mobility & Well-Being Conference in Savannah, Georgia.
Andreia had a rough start. Her mother had a substance abuse problem and went to jail, sending Andreia and her older siblings to kinship care. One after another her siblings left home.
Youth Villages, a national nonprofit organization and a leader in the field of children’s mental and behavioral health, has partnered with the Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS) Division of Children and Family Services (DCFS) to offer LifeSet, a program that serves as a bridge from foster care to adulthood.
The Youth Villages 5K—known as the YV5K—turns the big 4-0 this October, and there is no slowing down for this annual event. Held in the spring its first 37 years, the City of Memphis’ “longest-running” 5K returns to the fall for a second straight year on Oct. 22
When she was only 9 years old, Emely was abused by someone she thought she could trust. She was forced to do and see things no child should have to experience. For eight years, the abuse was constant and ongoing.
September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. For more than two years, we’ve seen study after study proving the declining mental health of kids and teens. There has also been an uptick in crisis calls received by Youth Villages across the state of Tennessee.
Meet Keshawna, a bright, intelligent, independent college freshman ready to take on the world. Looking at her, you would think her life was picture perfect, but it wasn’t.
As children head back into the classroom, it’s important that Youth Villages equips the communities we serve with information that can help kids, and their families, have a successful school year. According to the CDC: 1 in 6 children in school have one or more mental impairments.
Moving to a college can be an exciting yet anxious experience for many young people. For those aging out of foster care, applying to and even getting enrolled in a college can be a monumental task. That’s where LifeSet comes in.