Six young people participating in LifeSet in middle Tennessee met with Commissioner Jennifer Nichols and Mohamed El-Kaissy, assistant commissioner of Finance/Budget…
Six young people participating in LifeSet in middle Tennessee met with Commissioner Jennifer Nichols and Mohamed El-Kaissy, assistant commissioner of Finance/Budget…
Youth Villages recently received a $30,000 grant from the Evergreen Foundation in Waynesville. The contribution will support Youth Villages’ LifeSet™ program, which supports young people ages 17-22 who are aging out of foster care.
The Youth Villages LifeSet Program, designed to help young people aging out of foster care or juvenile justice custody, has proven a success, according to officials with the program in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
Each year, approximately 20,000 young adults across the country turn 18 while in foster care. They are preparing to leave foster care – alone – and statistics tell us that doesn’t usually end well, with many experiencing incarceration, homelessness and unemployment.
Tristan, 20, entered DCS custody when he was 14 years old. “I got caught up in a lot of stuff I was not supposed to,” Tristan said. “I think that’s common for kids who grew up like I did. You have to do whatever it takes to get by.”
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.
Every year, the Youth Villages LifeSet program helps more than 4,000 young people across the county navigate challenges as they reach adulthood. These young people are resilient and capable…
Youth Villages’ LifeSet program participant Mose Frazier gives his younger brother Lamar Frazier a haircut.
Ary and other LifeSet participants shared their COVID-19 experiences with congressional representatives to advocate for targeted relief for older foster youth during the crisis and its recovery.
Youth Villages is endorsing a bipartisan bill introduced today in the U.S. House of Representatives to provide immediate, targeted relief to children, youth and families significantly impacted by the COVID-19 emergency.