FIRST TIME’S A CHARMFoster parents adopt brothers Ethan and Levi ... 4

Family Victories from Youth Villages East Tennessee Spring 2012

With TL, Zoey takes control of her life, plus one ... 3

DeeDee finds forever home; Rosa was always there ... 5

Youth Villages receives $42 million grant ... 3

2

A message from

Our director

Stacking the deck in favor of children

Many times in our business I’m reminded of how tenuous stability can be. It

mirrors many aspects of our lives, where success or failure is dependent upon

events and things that may, or may not, go our way.

When you’re an adult, you stack the odds in your favor to prepare for unfor-

tunate consequences. For example, if you drive an older car, you may keep a

jacket, booster cables and other comfort items in the trunk in case it breaks

down. You keep a list of wrecker services programmed in your phone. You’ve

called friends and others to let them know you may need to rely on them in the

near future.

It’s common sense to be prepared. But it also takes practice.

Young people highlighted in this newsletter show how preparation led to

their success, but it could have turned out differently. Amber and Zoey are ex-

ceptional young people placed in situations that required them to be prepared,

but they weren’t. They didn’t know how, and they hadn’t practiced. Becoming

part of our transitional living program gave them the practice they needed, and

they’re both thriving.

DeeDee, Ethan and Levi are with exceptional foster parents who felt called

to make their foster situation permanent through adoption. DeeDee and Ethan

had come from foster homes where they didn’t feel safe – they were defiant

and had their guard up all the time. Now, DeeDee calls Rosa “Mom.” In Ethan’s

case, his younger brother also joined the family.

At Youth Villages, we work to help children and families prepare for whatev-

er happens. When someone needs help, they have people to call. Your support

through donations and volunteering adds yet another layer of help and stability

for children and families in our programs. They have the means to prepare for

life. And with each layer, success becomes closer and closer to a sure thing.

Thank you for all you do to support Youth Villages.

Amanda Tillman

Director of East Tennessee

865-560-2550

amanda.tillman@youthvillages.org

YOUTH VILLAGES BOARD OF DIRECTORS

CONTACT US

Mike Bruns, ChairmanRonnie Randall, Vice ChairmanJimmy Lackie, SecretaryPaul Bower, TreasurerJim Barton Jr.Eric BoltonKenneth CampbellMarietta DavisNicholas R. EhlenJoanna JacobsonRev. Robert Earl JonesBryan JordanKarole LloydMark MedfordJim ParrishJohnny PittsRay PohlmanJennifer QueenPat RitzMatthew TarkentonScotland ThedeDavid TylerBetsy WalkupGeorge WhitePatrick Lawler, CEO

Chattanooga5741 Cornelison Road6400 BuildingChattanooga, TN 37411phone: 423-954-8890 fax: 423-954-8880

Johnson City3915 Bristol Hwy #101Johnson City, TN 37601phone: 423-283-6500 fax: 423-283-6550

Knoxville9111 Cross Park Drive, Suite E475Knoxville, TN 37923phone: 865-560-2550 fax: 865-560-2580

Morristown225 West First North Street, Suite 302Millennium Square BuildingMorristown, TN 37814phone: 423-522-2200 fax: 423-522-2180

Memphis

Jackson

DyersburgParis

ClarksvilleNashville

Cookeville Johnson CityMorristown

KnoxvilleColumbia

Dickson

Linden Chattanooga

Memphis

Jackson

DyersburgParis

ClarksvilleNashville

Cookeville

Columbia

Dickson

Linden

Johnson CityMorristown

Knoxville

Chattanooga

3

continued on page 6

EAST TENNESSEE PROGRAM SUCCESS

ZOEY TAKES CONTROL OF HER LIFE; COMMITTED TO SUCCESS

OutcomesAt One-Year Post-DischargeAt One Year Post Discharge

0

20

40

60

80

100

84% 84%91%

At hom

e with fam

ily

No involvem

entw

ith the law

In school or graduated

*82.7% of youth were in state custody at admission to the program.

Program Success

As a national leader in the field of behavioral health, Youth Villages has measured

outcomes of children and families participating in its programs since 1994.

The graph above represents the status of East Tennessee youth at one year after discharge through December 2011. Figures include only youth who received at least 60 days of service and reflect a response rate of 53 percent.

NEWS AND NOTES AROUND YOUTH VILLAGES

YOUTH VILLAGES RECEIVES $42 MILLION CHALLENGE GRANT

The Day Foundation announced

it will give Youth Villages a $42 mil-

lion legacy challenge grant primar-

ily to help expand the organization’s

transitional living program that helps

older foster children become success-

ful adults.

It is the largest single grant ever

awarded to Youth Villages and one of

the largest ever to a social services

organization.

Philanthropist Clarence Day, who

began the foundation, was a longtime

Youth Villages supporter, donating

more than $14 million to the organiza-

tion before his death in 2009.

Because the TL program is funded

mostly through private donations, the

grant will help Youth Villages maintain

and expand the program.

While Youth Villages is helping 1,452

young adults this year through the TL

program in Alabama, Florida, Geor-

gia, Massachusetts, Mississippi, North

Carolina and Tennessee, there are

thousands more in need.

Each year, as many as 30,000 chil-

dren will turn 18 and “age out” of state

custody, being left on their own to make

their way in life as an adult.

LAWLER TAKES PART IN WHITE HOUSE ROUNDTABLE

Youth Villages CEO Patrick Lawler

recently joined other child advocates

for a roundtable discussion with Presi-

dent Obama’s Domestic Policy Coun-

cil staff at the White House.

The meeting focused on the Child

and Family Services Improvement and

Innovation Act. It expands the Title

IV-E waiver program to allow more

states to use federal funds to develop

or provide prevention or reunifica-

tion services that help children avoid

foster care entirely, reunite with fam-

ily members more quickly or find new

families through adoption.

Zoey was in the midst of monumental

change, and it could have gone a bad

way.

In foster care almost all her life, she

faced serious adult decisions at 18 years

old. Looking back at that time, it’s almost

as if it were a fond memory, she said.

She left her foster home and lived at the

YWCA and took classes at a local college.

She lived nearby, and could walk where she needed to go.

She had a job. But Zoey’s soft-spoken and shy by nature, and

had trouble securing the other things adults need — finding

a doctor, pursuing a career, finding housing. Her case man-

ager with the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services

told her about Youth Villages’ transitional living program.

“I was never taught how to do those things,” she said. “I

didn’t know how to respond to questions; everything was

The little things can get the best

of you.

That’s what happened with

Amber, who admittedly stressed

over little things so much, she was

losing sight of larger duties.

It happens to teenagers as they

approach adulthood, and for many,

they have parents or mentors to

guide them through those times,

show them how to manage their

time and money, keep their grades

up and handle adult responsibilities.

Amber didn’t have that.

“I didn’t know what to do,” the

20-year-old said. “I was away from

home and everyone. I was anxious

because I didn’t know what to do.”

Amber was in a post-custody

arrangement with foster parents

who lived hours away. Her younger

sister was at the home. She practi-

cally raised her younger sister on

her own and was very protective of

her. Then the foster parents began

the adoption process for her sister.

Detached from everything that

was familiar, Amber’s grades be-

4

Levi does quite a bit of the

talking.

Energetic and animated,

Levi has made his new

house a home.

He’s 2, almost 3, and loves

his older brother, Ethan, 14.

The two boys were the

first foster children for

Christy and Michael. Ethan

came first in March 2010

and Levi in February of 2011.

The couple adopted both in

December.

Ethan had some difficulty

in previous foster homes

and disrupted. But some-

thing changed when he

went to Christy and Mi-

chael’s home.

They’re more relaxed,

and it put Ethan in a good

frame of mind. After a few

months at the home, Ethan

came out of his shell.

“He was very shy in the

beginning,” Christy said.

“His previous home had five

foster kids there. I think he

needed a home where there

were fewer children, and by

the summer, he’d changed.”

He still has moments as

any teenager would, but Mi-

chael, a man of few words,

described Ethan succinctly,

and somewhat jokingly:

“He’s a good kid most of

the time.”

Ethan plans to participate

in wrestling, and has always

been active in school. And

whether it is clothing, shoes,

or running the television,

Levi insists upon doing it

himself. Both have extend-

ed family through Christy

and Michael, who accept

the children also as part of

the family.

Ethan first brought up

adoption.

“We just fell in love with

Ethan,” Christy said. “Our

initial goal was to be foster

parents and then potentially

adopt.”

“They were nice to me,”

Ethan said. “At first I had

my guard up, but I like it

here.”

The couple talked to-

gether about Ethan and

Levi, and decided to pursue

adoption. The kids also stay

in contact with an older

brother who has aged out of

foster care.

“We’d gone through the

foster parenting classes and

had been certified about a

month,” Christy said. “We

FIRST-TIME FOSTER PARENTS GIVE BROTHERS A FAMILY

Levi, 2, and Ethan, 14, have settled in their permanent home with parents Michael and Christy.

INTERESTED IN BECOMING A FOSTER PARENT?CALL 877-983-6786

OVERCOMING THE LITTLE THINGSTL gives support to focus on important

matters of becoming an adult

TL Specialist Teresaann Fisher, left, with Amber

continued on next page

continued on page 6

5

At the end of the day, you have to ask your-

self, “Who’s going to be there for me?”

For DeeDee, the answer was obvious. Last

November, Rosa, whom she now calls “Mom,”

adopted her.

“I had already adopted one child, and I

wasn’t looking to adopt again,” Rosa said.

“But every time she’d leave to go to another

foster family, she’d come back.”

DeeDee didn’t think she’d like living there.

Initially, it was difficult. She first stayed with

Rosa during a weekend, and Rosa could tell

there was something different about DeeDee.

Rosa, whose biological children were

grown, was patient. She was relaxed. Most

important, she knew where DeeDee was

coming from.

“I had a temper, and I was very defensive,”

DeeDee said. “I had my guard up all the time.

Few people could have gone through those

times with me, but Rosa was different.”

DeeDee had two weekend stays with Rosa

before moving there full time. The high school

sophomore plans to become a nurse and also

pursue a country music career. She went into

foster care at age 13 after allegations of abuse

and neglect.

She said being in foster care was difficult

except for the time with Rosa. She’s more

relaxed now and has again become the talk-

ative, outgoing girl she was before going into

state custody. She just turned 16, and is work-

ing to help Rosa buy her a car.

DeeDee doesn’t shy from talking about the

adoption. Rosa wasn’t what she was looking

for, but she’s fiercely loyal to her mom now.

While she challenges Rosa as any teenager

would, she doesn’t understand when her

peers speak ill of their parents.

“Sometimes at school I overhear other

kids talk about how they hate their parents

because their parents didn’t let them go to a

party or to a friend’s house,” DeeDee said.

“I think to myself, ‘You’re so

lucky. You don’t know what

that means.’ I wanted some-

one to tell me I couldn’t go

somewhere. I wanted some-

one to be there for me.”

DeeDee doesn’t regret anything. She

wished for adoptive parents who could take

her places and do things with her. Rosa can’t

be that to the level DeeDee wanted, but they

both believe faith brought them together.

They communicate; they finish each other’s

sentences. They laugh and they smile. They

have an energy between each other formed

out of love, safety and security.

“I don’t regret my situation because now I

have a better life,” DeeDee said. “At the end

of the day, I asked myself, ‘Who’s going to be

there to help and support me?’”

Then Rosa finished for her.

“Things happen for a reason, and it makes

you stronger.”

WHEN SHE NEEDED SOMEONE, ROSA WAS ALWAYS THERE

were fortunate that all of it worked out.”

Christy said they’d initially narrowed the choice down to

two agencies and decided on Youth Villages after speak-

ing with staff and learning about the support Youth Vil-

lages provides. In Tennessee, the Youth Villages adoption

program partners with the state Department of Children’s

Services to find permanent homes for the children in our

care who have adoption as a goal.

Youth Villages offers an array of training, support and

assistance to potential adoptive parents. Many adoptive

parents also are eligible for continuing adoption subsidies

from the state.

“I think back to everything before, and it’s almost like it’s

always been this way,” Christy said. “If you have the room

and you like kids, I don’t see why you wouldn’t want to

share a good home with someone who needs one.”

ETHAN, LEVI FIND FOREVER HOMEfrom page 4

TL Specialist Teresaann Fisher, left, with Amber

6

NAVIGATING THE ADULT WORLDfrom page 3

confusing.”

Then she found out she was pregnant.

“One of the first things we did was get her to a

doctor for a checkup,” said Lindsey Jones, Youth

Villages TL specialist. “That’s when we found out

she was pregnant.”

She had to leave the YWCA. She then stayed with

a friend. Then she lost her job.

“There were some challenges for us at the begin-

ning when she found out she was pregnant and lost

her job,” Lindsey said. “But she had support from

Michael, her fiancé, and she was motivated to make

sure things worked out.”

Michael was a huge help.

“He was always there for me,” Zoey said. “He went

with me to all of my doctor’s appointments and

was waiting for me at the hospital when I went into

labor.”

And a little less than a year ago, their son was

born.

“I wanted a safe place for my son,” Zoey said. “I

want to be a mother and watch him grow.”

The TL program provides young adults leaving

foster care with the intensive support and guidance

they need to make a successful transition to adult-

hood. The program helps young people learn to

deal with the minor and major problems that come

with adulthood. TL specialists help participants find

housing and health services, learn how to access

transportation and meet their basic needs. Special-

ists teach life skills like budgeting, menu planning

and grocery shopping.

Zoey discharged from the TL program in October.

Her son’s healthy. She’s working part-time now and

plans to return to school as soon as possible. She

hasn’t bought a car, but knows the bus system very

well. Michael and she have an apartment, and she

continues regular meetings with a private practice

therapist and social service nurse through nonprof-

it organizations that offer support while their son is

an infant.

Having a child at this time is stressful, but still fun,

Zoey said. She’s not sure how all of this would’ve

turned out without the TL program.

“If it wasn’t for Youth Villages, I’d be a lot further

behind,” she said. “I’d still be the timid little girl I

was before.”

gan to suffer. Her college financial aid was threatened. Going into

the summer months, she thought she’d lose her housing. Luckily,

her case manager from the Tennessee Department of Children’s

Services contacted Youth Villages about Amber.

Amber is participating in Youth Villages’ transitional living

clinical trial to measure the TL program’s effectiveness.

Conducted by MDRC through grants from the Edna McConnell

Clark Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the

study will evaluate the difference between the TL program and

usual services available in the community. Participants are inter-

viewed periodically to track their progress.

The study involves about 1,300 young people randomly assigned

to TL or other community resources during the next two years. TL

services are available for young people ages 18-22 who are aging

out of state custody and have little or no support. TL specialists

help young people secure housing; pursue educational and em-

ployment goals; access health and mental health services; learn

such independent living skills as budgeting, cooking, cleaning

and shopping; and create and maintain healthy relationships with

family and others.

Teresaann Fisher, TL clinical supervisor, said Amber was moti-

vated to succeed.

“She didn’t know where to start,” Fisher said. “We worked on

building her resume and re-applying for health care.”

In addition, they found out about a work-study program and

enrolled in classes that let her remain on campus during the sum-

mer. She got a job. She volunteered at a local recreation center.

“I volunteered more than 100 hours at the center,” Amber said.

“I fell in love with the kids there and kept going back.”

Her grades turned around. Now a junior, Amber recently was

selected to enter the social work program at the school. Through

it all, she spoke regularly with Teresaann.

“We found a structure so I wouldn’t feel lost,” Amber said. “She

helped me walk through things. I began to accomplish smaller

goals, and it gave me confidence to move on to the larger ones.”

Amber has been a speaker at DCS functions to advocate for

more support for teens in foster care. She plans to pursue a ca-

reer in the social work and human development field.

“I’d like to advocate for youth in the system,” Amber said. “So

often, kids are labeled when they enter state custody. They’re looked

at as if they did something wrong. Many times, that’s not the case.”

Amber discharged from the TL program in January, but has

made connections through school and the program that will help

her continue her road to success.

“Amber is an extraordinary girl,” Teresaann said. “She’s a moti-

vation for all of us at Youth Villages to help children, and she will

be an asset to anyone she mentors in the future.”

THE SUPPORT TO SUCCEEDfrom page 4

7

YV Pillar ($10,000- $24,999)

Variety of Eastern Tennessee

YV Champion for Children ($1,000- $4,999)

First Tennessee FoundationDr. Chad Thomas

YV Leader($500 - $999)Karl A. Kemmer

Yale Locks and Hardware

YV Friend (Gifts up to $499)

Beverly V. AbeleAcadia Healthcare

All About You Family MedicineAndrew Johnson Bank

Bailey InsuranceBaker Peters Jazz Club

David BonnerDaniel Burja

Gary BurnetteSteve Chancey

Chattanooga Area CFCCommunity National Bank

John DouglasJosie Dowell

June FulbrightBrittany Greene

Harmony Adoptions of Tennessee Inc.Kendra Martin

Joellen MeredithJ. E. RausinSeth ReaganCharles Rich

Dr. Daniel A. SlonakerRichard Williams

Honorariums Bob and Julie Switzer

Josie Dowell

CONTRIBUTIONS Thanks to our many supporters

The following donors made gifts to

Youth Villages between Aug. 1 and

Dec. 31, 2011. The board of directors

and staff of Youth Villages gratefully

acknowledge these thoughtful con-

tributions. If you made a contribution

during this time but it is not listed,

please call the Youth Villages Knox-

ville office at 865-560-2550.

THANK YOU, 2011 HOLIDAY HEROES

Variety of Eastern Tennessee, a long-standing charity in the entertainment

industry whose mission is to help disadvantaged or disabled children, awarded

Youth Villages a $16,000 grant toward the purchase of gifts for more than 200

East Tennessee children for Youth Villages’ Holiday Heroes program. The East

Tennessee chapter of Variety began in 2001.

There are numerous ways to help. Mentor, foster parent, volunteer or

financially donate to our programs. Your support can have a direct impact

on the future of the more than 450 children we help every day in East Ten-

nessee. Please call or e-mail Youth Villages to find out how to help.

JOIN OUR EFFORTS Become a force for families

9111 Cross Park Drive, Suite E-475

Knoxville, TN, 37923

865-560-2550

There are as many different ways

to support Youth Villages as there

are needs for your support. If you

are new to the concept of planned

giving, please click Donate on www.

YouthVillages.org and then go to the

Planned Giving website for infor-

mation on wills and bequests, gifts

of appreciated stock, real estate,

charitable remainder trusts, gifts of

retirement assets, life insurance and

charitable lead trusts.

Resources there include defini-

tions, wording for wills, stories of how

instruments are created and much

more. You may want to visit the

planned giving calculator to see what

a planned gift would mean in your

unique circumstances. For more

information, contact Marler Stone at

901-251-4820 or e-mail

marler.stone@youthvillages.org.

Thinking of a planned gift?

Join our networks

www.facebook.com/youthvillages

www.twitter.com/youthvillages

www.youthvillages.wordpress.com

A private nonprofit organization, Youth Villages serves more than18,000 children and their families from offices in the following cities:Alabama: Auburn, Birmingham, Dothan, Huntsville, MobileArkansas: Jonesboro, Little RockFlorida: Lakeland, Miami, TampaGeorgia: Atlanta, DouglasvilleIndiana: Jeffersonville, MadisonMassachusetts: Lawrence, Plymouth, Springfield, Woburn, WorcesterMississippi: Biloxi, Greenwood, Hattiesburg, Hernando, Jackson, TupeloNew Hampshire: ManchesterNorth Carolina: Asheville, Boone, Charlotte, Concord, Greensboro, Greenville, Pinehurst, Raleigh-Durham, Oregon: PortlandTennessee: Chattanooga, Clarksville, Columbia, Cookeville, Dickson, Dyersburg, Jackson, Johnson City,Knoxville, Linden, Memphis, Morristown, Nashville, ParisWashington, D.C.

NONPROFIT ORGU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDYOUTH VILLAGES

Founded in 1986, Youth Villages is a private nonprofit organization with a national reputation for offering the most ef-fective programs and services to help emotionally and behaviorally troubled children and their families live successful-ly. Youth Villages’ Evidentiary Family Restoration™ approach involves intensive work with the child and family, a focus on measuring outcomes, keeping children in the community whenever safely possible, and providing unprecedented accountability to families and funders. The EFR approach produces lasting success for children, with success rates twice that of traditional services at one-third the cost of traditional care.

YOUTH VILLAGES9111 Cross Park Drive, Suite E475Knoxville, TN 37923(Address Service Requested)

Please call 865-560-2550 to have your name removed from our mailing list.

New Heights East Tennessee is published by Youth VillagesManaging Editor: Amanda Tillman Associate Editor: Chris Pennington