Ko spent most of his childhood in the foster care system, but it wasn’t a traditional path. When he was 10 years old, Ko was placed in state custody. Ko didn’t end up with a foster family; instead, he went to Bill’s Place, a residential campus of Youth Villages.
In Oregon, young people who experience foster care face steep barriers compared to their peers. Only 57% graduate from high school, and many age out of the system without family support. According to the Annie E. Casey Foundation, only one in 10 foster youth enrolls in college.
Studies show young people who have a positive adult figure in their life are less likely to drop out of school, have fewer run-ins with law enforcement and build better relationships with their biological family. This remains true for those entering college and young adulthood.
Sabina, a single mother of two young girls under the age of 4, entered foster care after she and her sister suffered abuse at home from her parents.
Sometimes, it takes knowing others are proud of what you’ve accomplished. Every day, Youth Villages teaches young adults how to be resilient, face challenges head on and take strides to accomplish goals through its LifeSet program.
Youth Villages of Middle Tennessee is celebrating an astonishing 89 graduations across the region
Young people who turn 18 in foster care are resilient and want to become successful adults. Zoe, entered state custody at 14 years old and moved around a lot before “aging out.”
“I never really unpacked my clothing because I moved so much. I kept it in whatever bag I could find,” he says.
When Ali graduated from college this year, she decorated her cap with a special message. “I chose to put ‘defying the odds’ on my graduation cap because statistically, I shouldn’t have even gone to college, let alone graduate,” Ali said. “But I did both!”