Kristie Wimbush beat all the odds… Only about three percent of young people who experience foster care graduate from university. Kristie received her bachelor’s degree from North Carolina Central University in May of 2016. A year later, she earned a master’s degree in...
youthvillages Articles
Time in with Dr. Tim: Five ways to talk with teens
By Tim Goldsmith, Ph.D When children are young, parenting can seem straightforward. We understand what our child needs and can provide for them. But then come the teen years. Our happy child becomes moody, hanging less with family and more with friends, their...
Second Annual KiteTales event a success for former foster youth in North Carolina
Youth Villages North Carolina recently celebrated KiteTales: Stories that Soar, an annual event to support youth aging out of foster care. The second annual event – sponsored by Piedmont Natural Gas – drew more than 130 supporters and raised more than...
Youth Villages’ counselors help teen overcome challenges
By Shayne Dotson Adrian was born in prison and his childhood was a nightmare of abuse. He thought his life would never get better, and the only way to end his suffering was to commit suicide. Finally, he came to Youth Villages for help in one of the...
Alabama Dad goes the distance to reunite his family
Rudolfo Duenes was in Atlanta when he got the phone call that changed his family’s life. His ex-wife, living in Birmingham, Alabama, had been found unconscious in her home. Drugs were involved. Their children, Gavin, 3, and McKenzie, just 2, had been alone in the...
Partnerships, new approaches highlight forum on scaling effective practices to help former foster youth
Every year about 23,000 young people in the United States turn 18 and age out of foster care without ever being united with their biological families or finding a new one through adoption. They are one of the country’s most vulnerable populations, more likely to be...
After college, Youth Villages grad goes on to help other children
Former YVLifeSet participant Hannah Harrison graduated from East Tennessee State University. We're excited to say she's joined Youth Villages to continue helping others who experienced similar circumstances. Read the full story here. <div...
Youth Villages Announces Bill’s Place
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (May 1, 2017) – Youth Villages announced Bill’s Place, a $22 million investment to expand intensive residential treatment on the Bartlett, Tennessee, campus, at a ground breaking ceremony this morning. The 100,000 square-foot addition will create...
Love instantly: Foster to adoption and now the best Mother’s Day for family
Wes and Keely Jennings don’t know their birth mother and have not yet gotten the chance to shower a mom with love on Mother’s Day with handmade crafts or homemade breakfast.At ages 5 and 4 respectively, the siblings have spent much of their lives in foster...
Nearly homeless at 18, a young woman finds help from a Youth Villages mentor
After more than 30 foster homes, Terrenika ages out of care with support from her Youth Villages mentor and YVLifeSet. By Shayne Dotson Terrenika Maxwell spent most of her life in and out of foster care homes, then she turned 18 and was nearly homeless. Two months...