First Lady Cecilia Abbott Delivers Remarks At The Foster Youth Transition Centers Tour Event In Austin
First Lady Cecilia Abbott on Tuesday delivered remarks at the Texas Workforce Commission's (TWC) Foster Youth Transition Centers Tour event at LifeWorks in Austin. The First Lady highlighted the importance of service to youth in foster care, shared Texas' efforts to strengthen the foster care system, and discussed her Network of Nurture Initiative. The First Lady was joined by representatives from TWC, including TWC Commissioner Representing Employers Aaron Demerson and the TWC Workforce Development Division team, as well as LifeWorks Austin employees, and foster care advocates.
The Foster Youth Transition Center Tour provides an increased awareness of measures that can be taken to decrease obstacles that foster youth encounter when entering the workforce. The tour also connects employers and business organizations who engage with the ongoing efforts of aiding youth in foster care with career pathways and opportunities.
“For every child in our foster care system to live a life worthy of their promise, they need what I call a Network of Nurture—a community of families and friends, churches and congregations, business leaders and nonprofit organizations, and anyone willing to share of themselves,” said First Lady Cecilia Abbott. “For our youth in foster care nearing adulthood, they especially need our help in finding the right path to self-sufficiency and career success.”
Since 2008, TWC has funded 18 Foster Youth Transition Centers across the Lone Star State to provide support services for the diverse needs of older foster youth aging out of the system, youth experiencing homelessness, or other at-risk youth from ages 15 and a half to 25.
TWC Commissioner Aaron Demerson and the TWC Workforce Development Division team will visit all 18 of the Foster Youth Transition Centers over the next six months. The 18 transition centers are independently funded, operated, and supported by partnerships between the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS), DFPS providers, community partners and TWC. A list of TWC-sponsored transition centers can be found at https://twc.texas.gov/foster-youth-transition-centers