The Texas Workforce Commission contracted the Texas Institute for Child & Family Wellbeing to design and implement the Texas Foster Youth Network (TXFYN), a new statewide network connecting youth exiting foster care to trusted resources. To ground the Network’s design in the perspectives of the people it is meant to serve, TXICFW conducted a resource landscape analysis. Researchers conducted individual interviews with 20 youth aged 18–23 with foster care experience and group interviews with 69 system and community partners across the child welfare, education, workforce, health, housing, and legal advocacy sectors.
Findings point to three root causes of unmet resource needs among youth exiting foster care. Adulthood needs to be practiced. Youth face significant preparation gaps and need guided, hands-on practice, not just resource lists and referrals. Many youth lack natural supports and come to distrust or disconnect from transition systems, heightening their risk of crisis. Every youth interviewed pointed to the same need: at least one reliable person in their corner. The system supporting the transition to adulthood is comprehensive but fragmented. Staff turnover, inconsistent training, and broken handoffs leave many youth, especially the most vulnerable, falling through the cracks.
Overall, the analysis suggests that TXFYN can address these root causes by providing a single statewide point of entry for resource navigation, supported by peer navigators who build trusted, individualized relationships with youth.
Key Recommendations
- Provide a single, statewide point of entry for resource navigation, supported by peer navigators.
- Build outreach and cross-system collaboration with resource providers across Texas.
- Deliver individualized, relationship-centered resource navigation tailored to youth priorities and choices.
- Structure the navigation model around four phases: outreach, initial contact and rapport, needs identification, and follow-up with coaching.
- Center the navigator attributes youth value most: competence and transparency, responsiveness, resourcefulness, empathic listening, and lived experience.
