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	<title>Youth Villages</title>
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	<description>The force for families</description>
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		<title>From one partner to a national network: Youth Villages marks a decade of system change through partnerships and collaboration </title>
		<link>https://youthvillages.org/from-one-partner-to-a-national-network-youth-villages-marks-a-decade-of-system-change-through-partnerships-and-collaboration/</link>
		
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		<pubDate>Wed, 26 Aug 2026 14:20:27 +0000</pubDate>
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		<category><![CDATA[LifeSet]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://youthvillages.org/?p=145312</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Ten years ago, a handful of Youth Villages staff -- members of the new Strategic Partnerships department -- boarded a flight from Memphis to Seattle to train employees at the Y Social Impact Center to deliver LifeSet, Youth Villages' evidence-based program model supporting young people transitioning from foster care to adulthood. ]]></description>
		
		
		
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		<title>A Gentler Path</title>
		<link>https://youthvillages.org/a-gentler-path/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[digital]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 24 Aug 2026 23:51:16 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Media Coverage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[LifeSet]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pat Lawler]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[patrick lawler]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://youthvillages.org/?p=145274</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Memphis Magazine celebrates Youth Villages’ 40th anniversary, as CEO Patrick Lawler reflects on its evolution from a small residential program serving 88 children to a national organization impacting more than 50,000 young people each year.]]></description>
		
		
		
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		<title>Anahi takes the path less chosen: Youth Villages Scholars initiative helps her pursue education</title>
		<link>https://youthvillages.org/anahi-takes-the-path-less-chosen-youth-villages-scholars-initiative-helps-her-pursue-education/</link>
		
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		<pubDate>Mon, 24 Aug 2026 23:32:57 +0000</pubDate>
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		<category><![CDATA[LifeSet]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Anahi]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[LifeSet Scholars]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://youthvillages.org/?p=145265</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[In Oregon, young people who experience foster care face steep barriers compared to their peers. Only 57% graduate from high school, and many age out of the system without family support. According to the Annie E. Casey Foundation, only one in 10 foster youth enrolls in college.  ]]></description>
		
		
		
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		<title>An impact-focused trip to Capitol Hill</title>
		<link>https://youthvillages.org/an-impact-focused-trip-to-capitol-hill/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[digital]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 24 Aug 2026 22:59:25 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Systems Impact]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://youthvillages.org/?p=145255</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[When Natalie Clark asked a question about the availability of federal housing vouchers during a policy session at the Family-Focused Treatment Association's 2026 Public Policy Institute in Washington, D.C., she wasn't speaking as an observer. ]]></description>
		
		
		
			</item>
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		<title>Lucas&#8217; story: Finding hope again</title>
		<link>https://youthvillages.org/lucas-story-finding-hope-again/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[digital]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 24 Aug 2026 22:47:34 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Intercept]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[intercept]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lucas]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://youthvillages.org/?p=145243</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[When Lucas was younger, he dreamed of playing in the NFL or NBA. But when he was diagnosed with Becker muscular dystrophy, a rare genetic disorder that causes progressive muscle weakness in the legs, pelvis and heart, those dreams suddenly felt out of reach. As his physical abilities changed, so did his outlook on life. At just 8 years old, Lucas struggled with overwhelming feelings of sadness, isolation and worthlessness.]]></description>
		
		
		
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		<title>Keeping the door to extended foster care open</title>
		<link>https://youthvillages.org/keeping-the-door-to-extended-foster-care-open/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[digital]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 24 Aug 2026 22:31:41 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Systems Impact]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Extended Foster Care]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Foster Care]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://youthvillages.org/?p=145235</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Extended foster care cannot help a young person who never learns it exists. 

Among surveyed young people who did not participate, 44% said they were unaware of EFC or had not been told about it. At the same time, all 30 state and county child welfare professionals surveyed said caseworkers promote the program. ]]></description>
		
		
		
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		<title>Mississippi youth courts put prevention into practice</title>
		<link>https://youthvillages.org/mississippi-youth-courts-put-prevention-into-practice/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[digital]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 24 Aug 2026 22:17:30 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://youthvillages.org/?p=145224</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[By the time a family appears in youth court, a judge is already weighing decisions about safety, placement and what happens next. 

But identifying what a family needs is only one part of the job. That help must exist, the family must be able to reach it and the court, agency and provider must understand who is responsible for the next step.]]></description>
		
		
		
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		<title>With big dreams and people in her corner, Youth Villages Scholar ZiZi is ready to face the future</title>
		<link>https://youthvillages.org/with-big-dreams-and-people-in-her-corner-youth-villages-scholar-zizi-is-ready-to-face-the-future/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[digital]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 31 Jul 2026 17:48:32 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[LifeSet]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[LifeSet Scholar]]></category>
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					<description><![CDATA[Throughout her life, ZiZi has had to learn to stand up for herself. With the help of her LifeSet specialist, she now has people in her corner. ]]></description>
		
		
		
			</item>
		<item>
		<title>Mentor spotlight: Empowering young adults through experience and advocacy</title>
		<link>https://youthvillages.org/mentor-spotlight-empowering-young-adults-through-experience-and-advocacy/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[digital]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 31 Jul 2026 17:23:21 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Heather Salerno]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mentor]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mentoring]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://youthvillages.org/?p=145109</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[The Youth Villages Job Prep program equips young adults with the skills, confidence and professional guidance they need to successfully enter the workforce and achieve greater independence. Career mentors play an important role by leading workshops, sharing career insights, practicing interview skills and serving as encouraging, consistent role models as participants prepare for employment and adulthood. ]]></description>
		
		
		
			</item>
		<item>
		<title>Young adults from the National Collaborative for Transition-Age Youth participate in FFTA 2026 Public Policy Institute in Washington, D.C.</title>
		<link>https://youthvillages.org/young-adults-from-the-national-collaborative-for-transition-age-youth-participate-in-ffta-2026-public-policy-institute-in-washington-d-c/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[digital]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 24 Jul 2026 17:07:11 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Systems Impact]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://youthvillages.org/?p=145036</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Members of the National Collaborative for Transition-Age Youth with lived experience in foster care participated in the Family Focused Treatment Association’s Public Policy Institute during their week of advocacy in Washington, D.C.]]></description>
		
		
		
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