Improving health outcomes for youth in care across Texas.
The Texas Foster Youth Health Initiative is comprised of partners that represent both the child welfare and adolescent health systems, and are committed to improving optimal health outcomes for youth in foster care. The Texas Institute for Child & Family Wellbeing (TXICFW) at UT Austin, the Texas Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy and the Texas Alliance of Child and Family Services are partners with statewide focus that have expertise in advocacy, training, research, evaluation, and collaboration.
Healthy Futures of Texas (Rio Grande Valley and San Antonio), the North Texas Alliance to Reduce Unintended Pregnancy in Teens (Ntarupt) (Dallas), and the Texas Campaign in collaboration with the Harris County Youth Collective (Houston) focus on providing culturally sensitive sexual health education in their respective communities.
are designed by youth for youth
Our Young Adult Consultants will be leading the design of our youth engagement strategies that aim to empower, inform, and support youth in care.
include & support caregivers
We recognize the critical part adults play in a young person’s life. Our Caregiver Consultants will help us develop tools and resources for adults so they feel comfortable with ongoing conversations about sex and relationships and can support the youth in their care.
are the first statewide learning community of our kind in Texas
We’re not just delivering a sex-ed class to youth or a training for caregivers. We are bringing together child welfare professionals and adolescent health leaders to develop sustainable interventions and improve systems.
recognize no one lives in a bubble
We take into account that thoughts and behaviors are shaped by relationships and the environment. Addressing the biases and barriers youth face will happen every step of the way.
value individuals and their experiences
Through continuous collaboration and engagement of stakeholders and participants, we are building experiences for youth and their caregivers that inform, support and strengthen skills.