An MDRC evaluation of the YVLifeSet program operated by the nonprofit Youth Villages found that the program improved earnings, housing stability, and mental health among young adults who had been in foster care or juvenile justice custody in Tennessee.

How YVLifeSet Works

YVLifeSet, formerly known as the Transitional Living (TL) program, provides intensive individualized and clinically focused case management, support, and counseling to youth in their homes and communities. A look at some key services offered during the study period between 2010 and 2012, according to MDRC’s implementation findings:

Findings from MDRC’s Evaluation of YVLifeSet

The study sample includes more than 1,300 young people ages 18 to 24 who were living across Tennessee and had left foster care or juvenile justice custody as teenagers or were aging out at age 18. The evaluation is the largest experimental test of services for this population of youth, who often experience poor outcomes as adults.

MDRC’s evaluation of YVLifeSet, formerly known as the Transitional Living program, is funded by The Edna McConnell Clark Foundation, The Annie E. Casey Foundation, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.