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Youth Today provides news, opinions and updates from and for people who believe that when youth thrive we all thrive.

Subscribe to Youth Today: https://youthtoday.org/subscribe/ Youth Today is a national, nonprofit, independent news source for people who care about and work with children and youth. For more than 35 years we’ve published in-depth reporting on issues including foster care and child welfare, juvenile justice, youth with disabilities, education, out-of-school time, youth development and more.

07/10/2025

$𝟭,𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝗮 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵. 𝗡𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱. 𝟭𝟬𝟬 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵. 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿. 💰
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗱? ✨

YouthNPower gave unconditional cash to young people aging out of NYC foster care. Here's what changed:

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝘄𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼:
• Food (95%)
• Rent (82%)
• Transportation (80%)

Nearly everyone was struggling to afford basic necessities. 📊

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁: "For a brief moment, the number one worry doesn't have to be money." The cash provided stability that opened up possibilities—pursuing education, handling emergencies, taking career risks. 🚀

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀: By their early 20s, half of NYC foster youth will be unemployed, a quarter will face homelessness, fewer than 1 in 20 will earn a degree.

What made this different? Young people with foster care experience CO-DESIGNED the pilot. Their lived experience = expertise. The combination of cash + community was transformative. 💪

"We've been doing the same thing for 20+ years. We haven't really changed the outcome for young people." Time to try something new. 💡

By Ean Soh | Originally in Represent, published by Youth Communication 📰

Read the full story 💬 https://youthtoday.org/2025/10/cash-community-possibility/

03/10/2025

22% of college students are parents. 42% of them attend community colleges. 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

But here's the problem: Child care options can't keep up. And building child care centers? Not the solution — they're too small and too expensive, with huge waitlists. 📊

After studying 10 community colleges, New America found what actually works:

✨ Solutions that scale:

· Resource centers that connect parents to options

· Apps that auto-apply for subsidies

· Drop-in care (not just M-F blocks)

· Family study spaces

· Mixed-age groups for flexibility

· Support communities for student parents

The finding: Multiple flexible options > one-size-fits-all approach. 💡

Without adequate child care, student parents can't upskill or join the workforce. These creative solutions show a path forward. 🚀

Full report drops later this month.

Read more from David Tobenkin ➡️ https://youthtoday.org/2025/10/child-care-solutions-community-colleges/

01/10/2025

Jen Curry of Change Impact tackles the # 1 challenge she hears from OST leaders: finding and keeping staff. But here's the paradox: While turnover disrupts programs, moving to a better-paying job is often good for the staff member. 💼

The reality: It costs ~$2,000 every time a part-time OST staff member leaves. And 50% leave within 2 years. 📊

She poses two game-changing strategies to rethink retention:

💰 Strategy 1: Invest turnover costs in staff BEFORE they leave

Instead of spending $2K on replacing someone, invest it in keeping them:

✔️ Pay raises after strong performance

✔️ Tenure stipends

✔️ Tuition assistance

✔️ Career coaching

🎓 Strategy 2: When it's time, celebrate staff transitions as graduation

✔️ Welcome career conversations

✔️ Offer transparent pathways

✔️ Set role terms (2-year commitments)

✔️ Throw a graduation celebration when they move on!

Let's think of OST staff as both heroes for kids today AND leaders of tomorrow. 🌟 And support them through their career journey. 🚀

Read the Full Article ➡️ https://youthtoday.org/2025/10/turnover-graduation-rethinking-staff-retention/

30/09/2025

Seven years after Family First promised to transform child welfare, the results are mixed. 💔

Without safeguards, "prevention" can leave vulnerable children in unsafe homes. Channing Collins breaks down what's missing—and what needs to change.

⚡️ The reality: 20-60% annual turnover in child welfare means kids cycle through multiple caseworkers

📊 Children with ONE caseworker achieve stability 74.5% of the time vs. 0.1% with six or more

🎯 What's needed:
✓ Equity in funding—especially for marginalized families
✓ Workforce stability through better support
✓ Mental health safeguards in every case
✓ Community voices in policy decisions

Prevention + protection must work together.

✨ Read the full piece to understand how we can make FFPSA work for EVERY child. ➡️ https://youthtoday.org/2025/09/prevention-protection-making-family-first-work-every-child/

24/09/2025

🎓 𝑮𝒓𝒂𝒅𝒖𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒊𝒔𝒏’𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒔𝒉 𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒆—𝒊𝒕’𝒔 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈.

Too many young people face confusing choices about what comes next: college, trade school, apprenticeships or work.

✨ 𝑯𝒆𝒓𝒆’𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒊𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆:

🔹 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗻𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 & 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀
🔹 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆-𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴-𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀
🔹 𝗧𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀

To support community-based organizations in offering more of these supports and opportunities, the Partnership for Student Success) and Catalysts - Knowledge to Power Catalysts have created Navigating Pathways to Next — a guide that helps community-based organizations support youth in making informed choices.

When young people have guidance, they’re not just choosing a path — they’re building a future.

📖 Read more about navigating post secondary pathways and the 𝘕𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘗𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘹𝘵 in this piece by Kate Cochran and Merita Irby
👉https://youthtoday.org/2025/09/navigating-next-making-complex-pathways-clearer-people-powered-supports/

24/09/2025

✨ Adoption still matters for teens and young adults.

Each year, 15,000+ youth age out of foster care without a family to lean on. The risks are real — homelessness, poverty and lost opportunities.
But there’s hope. 💙

Promote adoption for older youth
Build real community connections
Support organizations that provide lifelong care

Every young person deserves belonging, stability and love — no matter their age.

Link https://youthtoday.org/2025/09/adoption-still-matters-older-youth/

✍️ By Leah Sutterlin | National Council For Adoption & Christian Alliance for Orphans

22/09/2025

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Become a Patreon Member Today → 𝗵𝘁𝘁𝗽𝘀://𝘄𝘄𝘄.𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗼𝗻.𝗰𝗼𝗺/𝗬𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗧𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆

18/09/2025

🌅 5:45 a.m. wake-up for an 8 a.m. SAT?

Katherine Plog Martinez watched her night-owl son struggle through this twice and asks: why are we setting teens up to fail?

Teen facts:
Need 8-10 hours sleep (get ~7)
Sleep patterns shift 2 hours later after puberty
Peak performance ≠ dawn ⏰
500+ schools moved to later start times = better grades, mood, attendance ✅

ACT Student offers afternoon testing. SAT (College Board) doesn't.

Time for systems that work WITH teenage biology, not against it 🧠

Read more ➡️ https://youthtoday.org/2025/09/sat-start-times-simple-systems-change/

12/09/2025

🌱 Leadership isn’t about having all the answers.

In this moving piece, Paul Spivey shares how his trans daughters have taught him that identity — and leadership — are not about control, categories or certainty. Instead, they’re about showing up with empathy, responsiveness and trust.

His journey from “I’ve got this” to embracing fluidity offers powerful lessons for nonprofit leaders navigating ever-shifting community needs and challenges.

Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/gA-FYnd

10/09/2025

Afterschool STEM is more than academic enrichment — it’s about turning curiosity into careers and citizenship. It sparks curiosity, builds confidence, and helps young people see themselves as future scientists, engineers, and changemakers.

Anita Krishnamurthi, Afterschool Alliance, shows how high-quality afterschool programs ignite interest in STEM, connect youth with mentors, and empower them to apply science to real-world problems and calls for greater investment in afterschool STEM opportunities — especially for girls and youth of color — so they can lead solutions to today’s biggest challenges.

👉 https://youthtoday.org/2025/09/afterschool-stem-turning-curiosity-into-careers-and-citizenship/?aiEnableCheckShortcode=true

🚀 Afterschool STEM isn’t just about learning. It’s about preparing the next generation to thrive.

,

09/09/2025

💡 When students lead, change happens.

Three Bronx seniors at UCHS New Visions Charter High School for Advanced Math and Science saw a gap in STEM opportunities for underclassmen — and took action. They launched a peer-led engineering and robotics club, giving freshmen and sophomores hands-on STEM experiences for the first time.

The results? Interest in robotics doubled, student confidence soared, and a sustainable program was created for future cohorts.

This shows the power of student-led initiatives to advance equity and opportunity in STEM — and the importance of giving young people the tools and support to lead change.

👉https://youthtoday.org/2025/09/what-happens-when-bronx-students-lead-way-stem-equity/

05/09/2025

Every connection counts. Every experience matters.

What if the secret to youth thriving isn't finding NEW mentors—but optimizing connections with ALL the people already in their lives?

𝙏𝙝𝙚 5𝙋𝙨 𝙁𝙧𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙬𝙨 𝙪𝙨 𝙝𝙤𝙬:

𝗣𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲 - Create environments where youth feel safe & connected
𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 - Engage ALL staff, not just traditional roles
𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲𝘀 - Foster relationships beyond classrooms
𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 - Offer inclusive activities that build life skills
𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 - Make it systematic, not random
𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺𝘀 like TAPS Academy and NASP prove this works — turning unexpected adults like SROs and police officers into powerful mentors through structured relationship-building.

📖 Read the full article by Karen J. Pittman and Merita Irby, this latest Youth Today feature reminds us that: https://youthtoday.org/2025/09/unexpected-mentors-every-new-positive-connection-really-does-count/

Before looking outside your walls for partners, look within. That "non-educational" staff member? They might be exactly who a young person needs.

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