Every year, approximately 20,000 young people turn 18 in child welfare systems without ever being reunited with their biological family. Ary, a young woman receiving help in Youth Villages Oklahoma’s LifeSet program experienced the ups and downs of that big birthday.
We are honored to recognize two members of Youth Villages’ national board of directors, retiring from national board governance this past June.
Juan’s responsibilities were too much. Left to care for three children after their mother left the family and discontinued visitation, he needed support.
Every day, millions of Americans face the reality of living with a mental health condition. In many communities, these problems are increased by less access to care, cultural stigma and lower quality care. Anyone can experience the challenges of mental illness regardless of their background. But, one’s cultural background or identity can make access to mental health treatment much more difficult. July is National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, and Youth Villages Clinical Consultant Brittany Jones discusses the unique challenges facing minority groups when it comes to their mental health.
This year Youth Villages of Middle Tennessee will induct two new members into the Red Kite Society; The Joe C. Davis Foundation and the Marlene and Spencer Hays Foundation. The Joe C. Davis Foundation has been a longtime supporter of the LifeSet program and has provided hundreds of young people with basic necessities and other resources to be successful.
When COVID-19 forced everyone to make dramatic changes and in-person activities were suspended, Youth Villages’ volunteers remained committed to helping in any way they could. With the help of our established Friend In Need volunteer group, former Backpack Heroes and Holiday Heroes, and current group home volunteers, staff was able to immediately jump into action.
This year, a record number of 117 Middle Tennessee young men and women in Youth Villages’ LifeSet program graduated from either high school or college. This is a 30-graduate increase over last year! One shining example of the youth who have graduated is Hailey B.
COVID-19 forced Youth Villages to make quick changes to programming in early March, but we’re continuing to meet the needs of our group home residents, children, families and young people during the pandemic.
Stealing, drugs, truancy, no father growing up… Ian was headed in the wrong direction fast. With his life spiraling out of control, he was referred to Youth Villages’ MST-EA program.
June is Pride month, a time designated to celebrate the contributions of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) members of our community. Focusing on inclusion and support at home is critical for all children and adolescents but especially for those who identify as LGBTQ. One of our core values at Youth Villages reflects the importance of a supportive household: Children are raised best by their families. When at all possible, LGBTQ children belong with their families.
Lacoyah was under the influence of drugs and out of control. Her reckless behavior and bad judgment left her ill-equipped to care for herself and future.
The consequences of the COVID-19 outbreak are being felt around the world. For many parents, this means having to cope with disrupted education, family illness, loss of household income and much more. Youth Villages clinical consultant Dr. Rebekah Lemmons provides information and tips to parents that may experience anxiety and fear.
Natasha Bonner, Clinical Supervisor for Youth Villages, discusses five best practices to protect your mental health while dealing with the global pandemic and racial injustices.
At Youth Villages, Family Intervention Specialists work closely with youth and families through our Intercept and LifeSet programs. And while no day at Youth Villages is ever the same, Katie Guajardo, a family intervention specialist in our Intercept program, walks us through her typical day.
Here’s the beautiful thing about children: Most are born with a natural sense of justice and fairness. However, as children develop, they begin to figure out that the color of their skin has more meaning beyond the colors found in a crayon box, and they need caring adults to help them construct a positive sense of self and a respectful understanding of others.
Youth Villages is one of 130 local nonprofits to receive grants through Cummings Foundation’s $20 Million Grant Program.
May is National Foster Care Awareness Month. In Tennessee, approximately 8,000 children are in foster care at any given time. With fewer than 4,000 foster families, the need is ever-present; even during COVID-19. National statistics show that a new child is placed into care every two minutes.
Tae’s freshman year in college didn’t go as planned. He was in the middle of the second semester at Johnson & Wales University, studying culinary science, when the COVID-19 crisis began.
Taylor and Tony Barnes are two Youth Villages employees from Cookeville, Tennessee, who married in August. Taylor is a family intervention specialist, and Tony is a LifeSet specialist. They looked forward to starting their lives together, until they lost everything as devastating tornadoes ripped through Middle Tennessee.
When a state of emergency was declared due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many people, understandably, freaked out.
As difficult as the COVID-19 outbreak has been, many young people with unstable home lives have had an even harder time adjusting to the emergency.
“I had a colleague on vacation, and I needed to cover her shift.”
This is where it all started for Amber Harris, a supervisor for Youth Villages in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. One of her families had a potential case of COVID-19, and the mother needed help because she could no longer work.
Youth Villages is carefully monitoring the developments around Novel COVID-19…
The current COVID-19 crisis has left many of us feeling helpless, stuck and uncertain. Please see below for eight tips on self-care and familial support during this trying time…
New partnering agencies and private providers launched the LifeSet™ program in Connecticut and Illinois in the first months of 2020.
Young people who have experienced foster care have so much potential, but without support in their teens and early 20s, they may struggle to transition into adulthood…
Youth transitioning out of foster care often face unique challenges compared to their peers; they have needs that aren’t always identified or addressed…
Markese’s first car is a real fixer upper. As he and his LifeSet specialist look over the 1990s-era Crown Victoria
When the Louisiana Legislature convened on March 9, one item on the table for consideration during the three-month session was a Bill of Rights for children and youth in the state’s foster care system…
Youth Villages has achieved the coveted designation for the third year in a row.
The Mid-South’s best tasting event, the 31st annual Youth Villages Soup Sunday, will take place Feb. 23 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at FedExForum…
Without the Youth Villages Intercept program, Johnnie Alvarado knows he would have wound up in prison or, worse, dead…
January is National Mentoring Month and Youth Villages, a nonprofit that works with at-risk families, is highlighting the need for mentors in the Memphis area.
McKinley used to be a rebellious youth, running away from home and in and out of trouble with the law…
The appointment is a promotion from within, as Foster has been with the national children’s mental and behavioral health nonprofit for nearly nine years. First hired to serve in various strategy, business development and policy roles, she quickly moved up the ranks of the organization…
Strengthening families and giving young people the support they need to move away from gang activity can make a difference in our communities. Special thanks to Commercial Appeal columnist Tonyaa Weathersbee for highlighting this issue and interviewing Youth Villages foster parent Yolanda Tate and clinical consultant Katie Puckett in her story today.
Youth Villages founder and CEO Pat Lawler is celebrating 40 years of working with children and families, and he’s even more enthused about his work today than at the start.
From a small, struggling residential treatment center in Memphis to a nationwide organization recognized by the President of the United States, Youth Villages has become a respected leader in treating children with emotional and behavioral issues…
The Youth Villages Massachusetts’ Rockin’ for Janie event, held Oct. 25 in partnership with Steven Tyler’s Janie’s Fund, raised over $200,000 to support young women
Jessica Foster has been named chief strategy officer for Youth Villages, a national children’s mental and behavioral health nonprofit organization…
Driving toward success recently took on a new – and literal – meaning for Laxavier. And it’s all thanks to a “strange” occurrence…
At 16-years-old, Jaquelyn moved to America for a new life, new opportunity, and away from the perils of the country where she was born…
From backpacks to gardens to fence repair to holiday gifts, Middle Tennessee’s corporate and community supporters made valuable contributions…
Youth Villages was featured as an expert in the December issue of Social Work Today…
Youth Villages’ new expansion, Bill’s Place, was recently featured in two media stories focused on growth and hiring…
Making the transition into adulthood is hard for anyone. But for those who turn 18 in foster care, it can be a particularly challenging time of life…
Katherina Rosqueta, executive director, Penn’s Center for High Impact Philanthropy mentioned one national nonprofit: Youth Villages…
Memphian and local Crye-Leike realtor Amy Linthicum was recently selected as the recipient of the 2019 Clarence Day Legacy Award at Youth Villages…
Serving young people since 1962, the Inner Harbour Campus merged with Youth Villages in 2009, continuing its long-tenured support of children in the greater Atlanta metro area and beyond…
Waynesville, N.C. – Youth Villages recently received a $20,000 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 in Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon and Swain counties of North Carolina…
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!”
A fresh graduate from University of Indianapolis in 2016, Mallory Jabaay set her sights on a career that would not only improve the lives of children, but their families, as well. Upon entering the job force, she knew she wanted to be as hands on as possible as she worked to keep families together. That very passion is what led her to Youth Villages. Mallory is a specialist who does most of her work within Youth Villages’ YVIntercept program…
Nicole Amenta is originally from Connecticut. As a specialist of social services, she found her way to Bloomington and set sights on pursuing the ideal career. After searching through multiple service providers, she came in contact with Youth Villages. What attracted her to the organization is its unique approach to care and felt that everyone she came in contact with was warm and welcoming. Nicole has been with the organization in Bloomington for a year and a half now and says she loves it…
Andrea* was referred to our LifeSet program through a local therapy clinic. Instead of enjoying high school, she was struggling with the death of a parent, intense bullying at school, and severe anxiety attacks. Her school ID card picture was taken the day after she discharged from the clinic and serves as a painful reminder of how bad things had become and how far she had to go to achieve her goals…
TUPELO, Miss. September 26 , 2019 – BancorpSouth Bank (NYSE: BXS) today announced a $100,000 contribution to support Youth Villages and its programs that impact the lives of young people in Tupelo, Mississippi and the surrounding areas…
After nearly two years of work from the Children & Youth with Specialized Needs Work Group (CYSN), Oregon State Senate Bill 1 and the accompanying Senate Bill 221 passed the legislative assembly with universal support this past session. These legislative efforts include more than $30 million investment in services to support this vulnerable population and a system of care oversight council to assure accountability…
Youth Villages’ intensive in-home services program, Intercept, often is used to safely reunite families after children have experienced foster care. This is so important because children need stability to have their best chance at long-term success…
Youth Villages licensed program expert, Brittany Jones shares advice for parents on how to talk to kids about racism during this school year. She urges that parents “don’t need to be experts, they just need to be real.”
New programs are launching in four jurisdictions across the country to provide comprehensive support to young people turning 18 in foster care – one of the groups hit hardest by the impact of the COVID-19 crisis.
The nonprofit organization Youth Villages is partnering with the state of Kentucky to start offering a new program called LifeSet.
The goal is to work with young people between the ages of 17 and 22 who are transitioning out of foster care in Kentucky.
Youth Villages, which offers services in the Boston area from its Woburn office, is holding its annual Backpack Heroes campaign.
Youth Villages campus director, Colby Jonas urges parents to “keep their ears and eyes open and remain vigilant” to ensure their children remain safe from predators. She also provides example of behavior changes of a child who may have experienced trauma.
The Kentucky Department for Community Based Services (DCBS), an agency of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS), is launching a new program this month to help young people who reach adulthood in foster care, one of the groups the most impacted by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis.
The new school year is approaching, which means our youth are in need of Backpack Heroes. Learn more about this initiative and how to donate in this interview with Local 24.
“We are still being innovative and creative…” said Portia Williams, foster parent trainer with Youth Villages. WREG Channel 3 spoke with Williams and the Hatten family about the need for foster care now more than ever.