YV LifeSet

Launched 2009

The YV LifeSet Logo with life in red and a red kite flying over top.

About

Successful transition to adulthood

YVLifeSet provides a vital resource to youth aging out of the foster system, putting them in the driver’s seat of their lives with a trained specialist by their side. Through this partnership, youth are able to envision a future for themselves and take actionable steps to achieve these goals.

In 2008, a Boston Foundation report found that hundreds of young adults transitioning from foster care each year at age 18 were attempting to live on their own with no support and facing many challenges. There were no services to help young people make a successful transition to living independently with positive outcomes. GreenLight selected YVLifeset, an evidence-based program, to address this critical need.

LifeSet, a program of Youth Villages (YV), now works with the nearly 800 young people who age out of foster care in Massachusetts each year. LifeSet pairs each participant with a specialist who helps them identify, navigate, and achieve their goals. LifeSet’s highly trained specialists are available 24/7 for ongoing support and meet with participants regularly. Together, these trusted specialists help the young adults tackle the highs and lows of growing up and ensure that the basics – stable and suitable housing, education, and life skills– are covered.

  • CEO
    Patrick W. Lawler
  • Executive Director for Massachusetts and New Hampshire
    Matt Stone
  • National Headquarters
    Memphis, TN
  • Website

Adulthood doesn’t have to be scary. YVLifeset program makes the transition easier for youth aging out of foster care.

YVLifeSet’s Impact in Boston

In 2022 – 2023

728

individuals reached

92%

of youth are in school, employed, or in GED classes at 12 months post-discharge

91%

of youth successfully living at home or independently at 12 months post-discharge

An image of Youth Villages Participants sitting in a circle talking with windows in the background.
In Boston
90%

of youth participating in YVLifeSet are in school, employed, or in GED classes at 12 months post-discharge

Read Mikki's Story

An image of a young adult, representing Youth Villages.
In Boston
90%

of youth participating in YVLifeSet are in school, employed, or in GED classes at 12 months post-discharge

Read Julia's Story

An image of Brett Houle, YV Boston, holding up stickers in a backwards baseball cap inside an office.
In Boston
95%

of youth participating in YVLifeSet were successfully living at home or independently at 12 months post-discharge

Read Brett's Story

An image of a young adult in the driver seat of a car pointing at the wipers switch as an adult leans into the car advising the student.

LifeSet specialists support young adults with the transition to independence – whenever and wherever they need it.

Join our work in Boston

We rely on champions and supporters who believe in the power and potential of community-driven change.