2021 was a year of growth for TNOYS’ work to more meaningfully center and amplify the voices of youth and young adults (YYA). From listening sessions and focus groups to leadership development training, these efforts were guided by our Youth Engagement Roadmap — a new blueprint for how TNOYS can engage YYAs, learn directly from… Read more »

In 2018, TNOYS launched the Young Adult Leadership Council (YALC) to engage youth and young adult leaders with lived experiences from across Texas. The first iteration of the YALC served as an advisory council for TNOYS as the organization took intentional steps to solidify its youth and young adult network.  With the arrival of TNOYS’… Read more »

For the past three years, TNOYS has worked closely with the Office of the Texas Governor’s Child Sex Trafficking Team to build Texas’ capacity to provide high-quality services for Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Youth (CSEY) survivors. In our work across the state, the TNOYS team has provided training and technical assistance to youth-serving providers and… Read more »

With the start of our new fiscal year, TNOYS looks forward to new collaborations alongside our network of over 100 organizations and individual advocates. We are proud to represent and collaborate with a range of organizations working in every Texas region across TNOYS’ seven system areas: child welfare, housing and homelessness services, victim and survivor… Read more »

TNOYS has launched its first-ever AmeriCorps program aimed at scaling youth-adult partnerships with young people with lived experiences within the seven social service systems that TNOYS works in which include homelessness, foster care, juvenile justice, mental health, education, workforce, and victim services. The program will provide young adults with lived expertise with professional development and… Read more »

During the first week of August, TNOYS once again partnered with the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to host the Texas Education for Homeless Children and Youth (TEHCY) Program Summit, which convened more than 1,000 youth-serving professionals from across Texas. Guided by the theme The Road to Impact, the summit’s 42 workshops and three dynamic keynote… Read more »

We at TNOYS along with TEA are finalizing details of the 2021 TEHCY Program Summit, and we’re excited to share a sneak peek of some of the amazing workshops and speakers we have lined up! Held on August 3rd & 5th, the TEHCY Program Summit empowers Texas’ education professionals to understand the needs of students experiencing homelessness and… Read more »

In June, TNOYS’ 38th Annual Conference on Services to Youth and Families virtually convened more than 500 youth and family services stakeholders from across Texas. The Annual Conference once again provided the opportunity to re-energize while exploring relevant issues that impact Texas’ youth and families. We at TNOYS know how COVID-19 has impacted youth and… Read more »

TNOYS’ work is guided by youth-adult partnership, which is a shift in thinking that challenges us to look at youth differently and include their voices and input into plans, strategies, and services to support them. In celebration of Foster Care Awareness Month and Mental Health Awareness Month, we’re reflecting on our partnerships with young people… Read more »