The Seattle Times published an article by Scott Greenstone titled “Many foster kids become homeless. One solution: an ‘adulting’ coach”. The article highlights YVLifeSet, an evidences-informed clinical case management program that serves young adults in foster care, involved in the juvenile justice system or have experienced homelessness. Created by Youth Villages, the Accelerator Y program has adopted it to focus our efforts on young people exiting foster care and address the shocking fact that one-third of those youth in King County become homeless within a year.

The program has been incredibly successful – nearly 90% of Accelerator Y’s YVLifeSet program participants have gone on to stable housing after program participation. Participants of this program receive intensive, holistic support, which leads to better outcomes in the areas of housing, educational attainment, employment, and involvement in the criminal justice system. 

In 2016, Accelerator Y was the first organization in the country to adopt and independently implement this model. Accelerator Y is working closely with Youth Villages to expand YVLifeSet across Washington State, and we are asking legislators to include this program in the general state budget to be passed this spring.