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.
Justin Dodson, an assistant director at Youth Villages, spoke with News Channel 3 in Memphis about the best way to approach discussions with your children surrounding the global pandemic and racial injustices.
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.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, screen time has increased for many children nationally. Youth Villages’ Regional Supervisor for Crisis Services, Natasha Bonner, spoke with Local24 and Fox13 Memphis about the rising risks they face online.
Lakeisha Gomes, foster care regional manager, spoke with Local24 about Foster Care Awareness month and Youth Villages’ efforts to find our homes for our youth during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Foster care recruiter LaTava Chandler spoke with WREG3 in Memphis about the continuous need for foster parents, even in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn more about how to become a foster parent.
With help from LifeSet specialists like Michelle Boyd, youth who age out of foster care have the opportunity to live successfully. Fox17 in Nashville spoke with Boyd and youth, Keion Wood, about their journey into her senior year at Middle Tennessee State University.
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.