Services to support youth and ensure they have the opportunity to lead
VOICES’ Youth DeMOGRAPHICS
VOICES will support at least 2,000 youth, ages 16 to 24, including 1,000 foster youth, from across Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties. Demographics include:
VOICES’ Youth Engagement Model
VOICES’ one-of-a-kind Youth Engagement Model has proven that empowering youth to design and lead the programs meant to meet their needs results in better outcomes for older foster youth. In short, peer to peer services delivered by foster youth for foster youth:
Create a more accurate picture of the needs and vulnerabilities of foster youth.
Have higher retention rates, especially among homeless and hard-to-serve youth traditionally disconnected from services.
Remove barriers to a young person’s full participation in existing child welfare, school and community supports by offering trusting relationships and opportunities for youth to define the scope and goals of their service involvement.
Increase the capacity of partner agencies to deliver “youth-friendly” services that reflect youth’s unique needs and respect young people’s preferences for communication and engagement.
Provide more accountability from youth serving systems by amplifying youth voice
Result in better policies and systems that address long-standing and emerging issues related to foster youth.