UP began in 2014 under the Court Appointed Special Advocate program, serving both current and former foster youth ages 16-24. UP received designation as its own 501(c)(3) in May 2018 and narrowed its focus to serve only former foster youth ages 18-25. Originally envisioned as strictly a mentoring program it has quickly grown into much more. Learn more about our services to young adults:
Learn MoreWe began in 2014 under the umbrella of Voices for Children and served both current and former foster youth. UP received designation as its own 501(c)(3) in May 2018 and narrowed its focus to serve only former foster youth ages 18-25. In the fall of 2019 UP trained it’s first class of volunteer mentors and began to provide mentoring to former foster youth.
In January 2020 UP was selected as one of 33 programs nationwide to help facilitate Housing and Urban Development’s Foster Youth to Independence (FYI) housing voucher program. By March 2020 we added case management to our service array and June of 2020, in direct response to requests by program participants, began to offer free individual counseling as well as limited transportation to and from work, school and medical appointments.
Each year 1500 Texas youth leave the foster care system after they turn 18. Often without any support from family or friends, former foster youth are on their own to navigate independence and adulthood.
By helping with housing, offering important life skills education and providing a stable, positive, adult mentor UP can mitigate the problems that plague foster youth.