The Texas Institute for Child & Family Wellbeing at The University of Texas at Austin School of Social Work announced on Mar. 24 that it will launch a centralized hotline aimed at connecting former foster youth with workforce resources, educational opportunities, and other supports to help them transition into adulthood. The initiative, called the Texas Foster Youth Network, is funded by a $4 million grant from the Texas Workforce Commission.
The new network seeks to address the challenges faced by young people who have aged out of foster care as they move into independent living and employment. By providing a single point of contact for information and assistance, organizers hope to streamline access to services and reduce barriers that often discourage youth from seeking help.
“We are committed to ensuring former foster youth have the resources they need to thrive in their careers,” said Alberto Treviño III, TWC commissioner representing labor. “The Texas Foster Youth Network provides a centralized location for those resources, offering crucial support and building confidence as they transition into the workforce. This initiative will help them realize their professional aspirations right here in Texas.”
According to project leaders, planning for the network has been co-led by individuals with lived experience in foster care. The call center will be staffed by former foster youth who can assist callers with inquiries and case management throughout their first year of operation. Tym Belseth, senior program coordinator at the School of Social Work and a former foster youth himself, said: “If you think about the first time you had to make a medical appointment or deal with a government bureaucracy on your own, it was probably a bit more complicated than you expected… Our hope is to help walk them through those processes so they learn not to give up.”
Young adults who have lived in foster care will also be involved in guiding landscape analysis efforts, informing outreach plans, developing operational policies during the project’s initial phase, and exploring how artificial intelligence might enhance call center operations. Monica Faulkner, director of the institute overseeing this work said: “By centering lived experiences in our advisory groups and staffing, the Texas Foster Youth Network will develop a relevant and accessible resource for foster youth… We know through our prior research that youth want reliable relationships with adults and that human interaction is critical but we also see potential to incorporate AI into our services.”
Allan Cole, dean of the School of Social Work at UT Austin added: “Our school has a long history of working with the state to improve child well-being in Texas… The Texas Foster Youth Network is the next step in our commitment to helping youth transition from foster care toward thriving adulthood.”
