Youth Development Programs: Foster Youth Initiative
Program Assistant:
Program Coordinator: Jessica Hilderbrand
Phone: 402-476-8003, or toll-free: 877-476-8003
E-mail: jhilderbrand@nebraskachildren.org
Originally funded by one of the grants from the Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative, the Department of Health and Human Services sponsors the Nebraska Foster Youth Initiative, a program that targets youth transitioning from foster care into independent living.
Research shows that no group in the United States is more predictably headed for unhappy outcomes than young people who spend their adolescence in foster care. Homelessness is widespread; academic failure is commonplace. Stable, gainful employment is elusive for most foster care graduates well into their twenties, and untreated physical and mental health problems are pervasive.
The Nebraska Foster Youth Initiative provides support for youth transitioning from foster care into independent living through several activities and projects. In partnership with the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, the Foster Youth Initiative coordinates the following programs for youth: