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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