Former foster children are one of our country’s most vulnerable groups.

According to a long-term study released in 2010, young people who “age out” of the foster care system at age 18 are at a severe disadvantage as compared to their peers:

• About one-fourth of the people in the study, mainly women, were receiving public aid and struggling to raise their own children, usually without a high school degree.
• Researchers found that one in five in a second group, mainly men, had multiple criminal convictions, low education and incomes and, often, mental health or substance abuse problems.
• Of those surveyed, 48% were unemployed and 85% had an income of $25,000/year or less.

Without ongoing support, young people who have grown up in state custody are at great risk for failure and face a significantly higher chance than the rest of the population of becoming homeless.

Youth Villages, through a grant from The Day Foundation, began a Transitional Living Program in 1999 to help these children get a good start on adulthood in the crucial years between age 17 and 22. Transitional Living counselors help young people learn to deal with the minor and major problems that come with adulthood. They help participants find housing and health services, learn how to access transportation and meet their basic needs. Counselors teach life skills like budgeting, menu planning and grocery shopping. They help young people learn the skills needed to find and keep jobs, and sometimes help them reunite with their families.

Young people in the Transitional Living program set education and career goals. For some, this means obtaining a GED or high school diploma. For others, it means applying for college scholarships or attending vocational training. Staff provides assistance with selecting a career, developing a resume, applying for jobs, and preparing for job interviews. A Transitional Specialist may also help a young person learn to get along with co-workers and supervisors in the workplace.

Learn more details about how the program works.

Currently, Youth Villages offers Transitional Living to young adults in Alabama, Georgia, Massachusetts, Mississippi, North Carolina and Tennessee.

This program counts on the generosity of friends of Youth Villages. Click to see list of our Transitional Living partners.

We also appreciate on individual donors to sustain this valuable program. Click here to give.