Grants
LifeSet™ and Intercept® Opportunity Grants (2025-2026)
Youth Villages is committed to supporting youth- and family-serving systems nationwide as they work to improve outcomes for children and families. With support from our philanthropic partners, we are pleased to announce the LifeSet and Intercept Opportunity Grants to help jurisdictions bring these evidence-based models to their communities.
About the LifeSet Opportunity Grant
Young people aging out of foster care deserve the same opportunities for success as all young people entering adulthood. Youth Villages’ LifeSet program is one of the nation’s largest evidence-based models providing comprehensive support for young people as they exit state custody.
This grant is for jurisdictions interested in transforming their continuum of care and improving outcomes for transition-age young people (ages 17-23) by adding LifeSet to their service array or significantly expanding an existing LifeSet implementation.
In child welfare systems, jurisdictions must be represented by state or county child welfare agencies or community-based care organizations.
About the Intercept Opportunity Grant
Youth Villages is committed to helping children and families live successfully. Intercept, our evidence-based, intensive in-home program model for children from birth to age 18, helps stabilize and keep families together. Rated “Well-Supported” by the Title IV-E Prevention Services Clearinghouse, Intercept can help prevent out-of-home placements and reunify families when out-of-home placement is necessary.
This grant is for jurisdictions interested in transforming their continuum of care to reduce unnecessary time in care through preventive services.
Grant funds can be used to support one-time costs associated with adding Intercept to the service array or significantly expanding an existing Intercept implementation.
In child welfare systems, jurisdictions must be represented by state or county child welfare agencies or community-based care organizations.
Timeline: The application window for both grants opens October 1, 2025. Interested jurisdictions should send a letter of intent to apply to BPPDept@YouthVillages.org by December 15, 2025.
A Youth Villages contact will be assigned to support application development and will provide the RFA packet.
Applications will be reviewed as received until funding is exhausted or until January 31, 2026. Jurisdictions are encouraged to apply early.
Systems Impact Grant
2024 Funding Opportunity for Transition-Age Youth Services
Systems
Impact Grant
2024 Funding Opportunity for Transition-Age Youth Services
Systems Impact Grant
2024 Funding Opportunity for Transition-Age Youth Services
Through the Systems Impact Grant, Youth Villages will partner with public agencies who are committed to dramatically improving outcomes for young adults, jurisdiction-wide, through both program and systemic policy/practice improvements.
Deadline
April 30, 2024
The 2024 Systems Impact Grant application window closed on April 30, 2024.
Young people in and aging out of foster care deserve the same opportunities for success as all young people transitioning into adulthood. Systems Impact Grants can support jurisdictions in identifying and implementing systemic policy and practice changes to improve outcomes for young people and/or a portion of the costs associated with adding or expanding LifeSet and/or high-quality extended foster care services in partnership with Youth Villages. Awards ranging from $500,000 to $4 million over three to four years have been granted in the past. Applicants must be public agencies.
Lived Experience Impact Grants
Congratulations to our 2023 Lived Experience Impact grantees! Lived Experience Impact Grants were awarded to organizations led by individuals who have personal experience in foster care and are now participating in the movement for change through initiatives that focus on improving the lives of young people who are in and exiting foster care. Youth Villages awarded eight grants in the 2023 round of funding — ranging from $25,000 to $80,000 per grant.
- California Youth Connection/Oregon Foster Youth Connection — To establish Oregon Foster Youth Connection as an independent, youth led advocacy organization to drive policy change across the state.
- Florida’s Children First/Florida Youth SHINE — To launch the first phase of the youth-led “YouthCanSHINE” campaign to drive greater change through advocacy and create statewide awareness of the supports that young people in care need to be successful.
- Found Village — To expand the support offered to transition-age young people in Hamilton County, Ohio by investing in staff and program development to deliver “Launch to Independence,” a program that offers focused and intentional age-appropriate coaching, life skills training and career advancement opportunities for young people exiting foster care.
- Freedom Forward — To fund a guaranteed income pilot for transition-age young people aging out of foster care who are survivors of sexual exploitation in San Francisco, California.
- Propelling into Triumph — To expand a life skills coaching and mentorship program for transition-age young people in Miami, Florida.
- SUN Scholars — To build an AI-powered online education resource for transition-age young people who are graduating high school and the education professionals who support them.
- Winston Rhea Scholars — To serve transition-age young people in Louisiana and South Carolina through the expansion of a high-touch, intensive coaching/mentorship program that includes post-high school goal setting and financial support.
- YSS Rooftop Gardens — To provide workforce/professional development for child welfare and juvenile justice involved youth in Des Moines, Iowa through a sustainable farming initiative.
We look forward to working alongside all our Lived Experience Impact grantees to advocate for changes that will improve outcomes for young people experiencing foster care across the country. If you have any questions, reach out to the project team.
