Our Impact

NLV is an intentional community designed to interrupt the cycle of instability and to provide a safe place for children affected by trauma, their caregivers and seniors to flourish together. As an intergenerational community combating the foster care system, the affordable housing shortage and the opioid crisis, NLV helps to create strength and self-reliance with family and community services to address each generation’s and family’s unique needs.

Residents heal and flourish in a community where:

  • Each resident is valued, engaged and supported
  • Youth are surrounded by a Village committed to their healing, safety
and development
  • Seniors gain new friends and family serving as surrogate grandparents
and community elders
  • Children move from the instability of foster care to permanent homes and families
  • Parents receive essential social support and resources to increase their confidence in parenting
  • Seniors serve the community giving them purpose and, thus, resulting in a healthier retirement

NLV’s Wellness, Resilience and Character Development Program Outcomes

Preventative Onsite Programming

Our program aims to prevent the numerous, negative outcomes associated with the foster care system such as:

Education: former foster children have a lower level of education than peers their age and are more likely to repeat grades.

  • Only 50% graduate high school and only 3% graduate from a 4-year college (National Foster Youth Institute)

Homelessness: disproportionate number of the homeless have spent time in foster care

  • Nationally, 50% of the homeless population spent time in foster care
  • According to Foster Focus, within 18 months of emancipation 40-50% of foster youth become homeless

Teen Pregnancy: Youth who have spent time in foster care are more likely to experience early pregnancy. According to one study by the Center for Health Systems Research:

  • 49% of the young women became pregnant by age 21
  • 33% of young men reported getting someone pregnant by age 21

Incarceration: more foster children end up in prison than in college

  • former males foster children have an arrest rate between 25-35%
  • 25% of foster alumni will become involved with the criminal justice system within two years of leaving care

Mental Health: psychiatric referral and use were higher for foster children than adoptees or persons in the general population

  • Up to 80% of children in foster care have significant mental health issues
  • According to a U.S. Government Accountability Office analysis, foster youth are up to four times as likely to be prescribed antipsychotic drugs as other minors

Unemployment

  • 47-69% of former foster youth age 16-24 are unemployed (Annie E. Casey Foundation)
  • 71% of former foster youth who do have jobs report an annual income of less than $25,000