In recognition of National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, TNOYS is proud to spotlight Project Protect Our Children and their amazing work in Texas. Denise Mears, Founder and Executive Director, answered a few questions about the work their organization is doing below. Project Protect Our Children is a 501c3 dedicated to preventing child sex trafficking, exploitation, and abuse through proactive community engagement, preventative educational programs, awareness, and empowerment opportunities. They offer a range of human trafficking awareness and training presentations to educate various ..read more

In recognition of National Homeless Youth Awareness Month, TNOYS is proud to spotlight Central Texas Youth Services and uplift the fantastic work of this organization. Shellie Hassell, Executive Director, answered a few questions about the work their organization is doing below. Central Texas Youth Services works with the runaway, homeless, and at-risk youth in central Texas, ages 11-25. Through their many programs, they offer case management services that help Central Texas youth find employment, housing, identifying documents, and more. They also work to ensure that all youth who access th ..read more

This summer, TNOYS was excited to team up with the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) on PEAKS (Physical and Environmental Activities for Knowledge and Skills) Adventure Camp and our Building Alliances with Youth to Reduce and Prevent Children without Placement (CWOP) training, two initiatives that aim to build stronger partnerships between Texas foster care caseworkers and the young people they serve. Youth and young adults (YYA) often share how interactions with youth workers—whether they are positive or negative— can have a big impact on the overall foster care exper ..read more

Last month, TNOYS’ 40th Annual Conference on Services to Youth and Families in Houston brought together over 400 attendees of all ages and backgrounds for an energizing week of learning, networking, and fun. Our team was excited to host a wide variety of expert speakers and interactive workshops that empowered youth, young adults, and professionals to uncover their strengths and build toward a brighter future for youth and family services. Following a separate virtual day on May 18, The in-person portion of the conference began on Tuesday, June 13 with three day-long, in-depth pre-conference ..read more

Over the past year, TNOYS has been collaborating with youth partners to improve engagement with Opportunity Youth and Young Adults (OYYA) – the estimated 500,000 young Texans between 16 and 24 years old who are neither enrolled in school nor employed. Data has shown that these young people face various challenges such as trauma, unstable living situations, limited support, and systems involvement, which can create obstacles for them when taking critical steps to achieve their educational and employment goals. Together with young people and statewide and national partners, TNOYS is working to ..read more

Wondering what you’ll learn at TNOYS’ 40th Annual Conference on Services to Youth and Families? We’re excited to announce that the digital program is now live! Get the details on the 50+ workshops that are available at this year’s event. Sneak Peek: Digital Program Don’t forget: up to 25 CEUs are available when you register for the in-person conference, virtual day, and a pre-conference institute. Register here. Attend a Pre-Conference Institute Pre-conference institutes are full-day (4-6 hours) training sessions on an in-depth clinical skill or evidence-based tool or approach. Learn about t ..read more

March was packed with wide ranging opportunities to have our voices heard in policy change, both in Texas and at the national level! We’re grateful to the youth, young adults, and providers who joined to advocate for the priorities in TNOYS’ agenda for the 88th Texas Legislative Session. Below are some highlights from our work: Bringing Energy and Action to the Texas Capitol for TNOYS DAY On March 6th, TNOYS hosted our flagship event of the Legislative Session: Day of Action for Youth (DAY) at the Texas Capitol. With 200+ youth and providers in attendance, the day was a testament to the powe ..read more

The 88th Texas Legislative Session kicked off January 10, marking an exciting start to the year! Over the next several months, TNOYS staff, members, and youth and young adult (YYA) partners will come together to advocate for positive change across seven systems: child welfare, housing and homelessness services, justice, survivor services, health and behavioral health, education, and workforce/ higher education. Below are some highlights from our work: TNOYS Outlines 15 Policy Priorities to Address Years of Underfunding and Challenges from the COVID-19 Pandemic TNOYS recently released a Cross ..read more

In recognition of Suicide Prevention Awareness month, our member spotlight is on zGen Project. zGen joined TNOYS’ member network earlier this year. They provide trainings and evidence-based approaches to school-based providers on teen trauma identification, awareness, and intervention. At TNOYS, we’ve seen firsthand how elevating youth voices and building youth-adult partnerships can shift public perception and raise awareness about important topics. Read on to learn about zGen Project from Founder / Executive Director Cynthia “CeCe” O. Neal. Tell me about zGen Project. How did the organi ..read more

Austin – Texas Network of Youth Services (TNOYS), a statewide organization that strengthens services for Texas youth and families, has teamed up with the Aspen Institute Forum for Community Solutions (FCS) and Young Invincibles to launch a Texas Emerging Leaders Board that will build pathways to academic and career success for the state’s 500,000 “Opportunity Youth” (OY): Young people between the ages of 16 and 24 who are neither enrolled in school nor participating in the labor market. Often, these youth and young adults have lived experience with foster care, h ..read more