Youth Homes

• Home |
• About Youth Homes |
• Programs & Services |
• Success Stories |
• Ways to Give |
• News & Events

Kids come to us with sad stories; that’s for sure. But, stories can be changed—with some care, attention, love, ambition, with support from friends. This is, after all, the place where hope lives and grows. And, many days, it grows mighty tall. It grows right through the roof into a real education, a real future and a real life full of possibilities.

Where hope
lives and grows

Success Stories > Measures of Success

Measures of Success

At Youth Homes, we measure success in a myriad of ways. Here is a sampling of the good work that we do:

• Focus on Education—Nearly 80% of our youth who stay with us until the age of 18 will graduate from high school or earn a GED. That accomplishment far outperforms the state average of 68%. Our Educational Liaison works with group home staff, clinicians and school personnel to provide the best education possible for our clients.
• Our Group Homes have an 90% success rate of planned discharges as compared to a state average of 34.6% (CQI Assessment, 2008) From the moment a child comes into our care, our highly trained clinicians evaluate their physical, mental and emotional health and devise an individual treatment plan tailored to the child’s specific needs. A variety of tests, evaluation methods and treatments are used both at intake and at discharge. The outcome is for our children to demonstrate improved function in all areas while in Youth Homes care.
• We work to prevent hospitalization or placement in a high level residential treatment program through one-on-one coaching. In 2008, over 90% of our Therapeutic Behavior Services (TBS) cases showed measurable reduction of risky behaviors and increased use of positive behavior and coping skills.
• Child Safety—We provide safe residences, therapy and stability for youth. Our homes serve different needs. Some children need emergency shelter while awaiting permanent placement, other youth require care and counseling in a group home setting and preparation for emancipation. Still, other children are seriously mentally ill and for these youth, we provide a secure facility as an alternative to a state-run institution.
• Lower homelessness and recividism. Nationally, 40% of foster youth who "age out of the system" are homeless within two years. We address homelessness and recividism by providing ongoing counseling and support. Typically families provide material and emotional support to children long after they reach legal maturity. Youth leaving us at age 18 can rely on continuing aid and counseling, a support network of mentors and peers, and through the generosity of our donors, sometimes material assistance to help them achieve healthy, productive adult lives. Very few of the youth who age out of our programs end up homeless, because of the ongoing support they receive from Youth Homes.
• Emphasis on Life Skills—Life skills are essential and empowering. To be self-sufficient, you need to know how to scramble an egg, change a tire, balance a checkbook, hold a part-time job after school. In our homes,in our TBS and in our Aftercare programs, we work with our youth to teach them real life skills.