Nick, 17, had been living in hotels around Atlanta with his mom and two siblings for more than a year. There was physical and emotional abuse, food insecurity, prevalent substance abuse, and very little structure or supervision. Diagnosed with ADHD and intellectual disabilities, Nick started acting out. He was suspended from school twice in just a few weeks, took his mother’s car without permission and refused his medication.
Before Youth Villages entered their lives, Sam described her home as “complete chaos.” Her three children, ages 10, 8 and 5, struggled without structure.
From a very young age, Amir experienced instability and trauma in his house. This caused him to lash out at home and school with verbal and physical aggression. At 11 years old, Amir was involved in a gun incident which left his father paralyzed.
Twenty years of steady, positive change in New Jersey’s child welfare system yielded results: fewer than 3,000 children are now in foster care, the lowest number in state records.
When Angela received a phone call one Monday evening, she didn’t realize how much her life would change. On the other end of the line was Jenna, a specialist from Youth Villages
A young person’s success often depends on the support they receive from those around them. Without a healthy support system, navigating life’s challenges can become overwhelming, especially for children who have experienced trauma.
Mental health is often seen as a personal struggle, —but what if healing could happen in living rooms, libraries and community spaces, not just clinics?
When Amanda landed in the ICU due to complications from alcoholism, her 9-year-old son, Jack, faced the very real possibility of being removed from his home.
Shavonda’s daughter, Amiyah, had been in and out of residential facilities since she was 13 years old. Amiyah faced serious challenges like running away and getting into unsafe situations that eventually led to involvement with the juvenile justice system
For many families, balancing excessive stress and maintaining a stable home environment for children may require extra support. Intercept, a program of Youth Villages.