The state of Texas had custody of 28,753 children in August of 2021. It's estimated that close to 1,200 youth age out of foster care in Texas annually. We are thankful for the continued efforts of our State to care for those in foster care and the legislation that is being evaluated regularly, and we simultaneously acknowledge that there is a need.

While there are both private and government programs available to help these students, Empty Frames Initiative looks to create a place to pause for youth that will enable them to be more successful when entering pre-existing programs. A key element of this is connection to the church and community, which will help youth exiting care to establish a safety net for their next steps.

We are in the process of launching a short-term residential program called Overture, a space for young adults leaving state's care to receive community, counseling, training in life skills, and access to the Gospel before stepping into their next chapter. While this program will be the first of its kind, we hope to make it replicable for organizations across the US, and across the world, serving this population.

In addition to providing a place for individuals exiting the foster care system, this vision includes a spcae that would become a central location for Training, Research and Innovation in regards to the topic of youth emancipating from state care. In addition to Overture House, this property would also become a space where individuals and non-profits are trained in how to best care for some of our population’s most vulnerable. Moreover, an innovative fellowship opportunity could explore the intersection of homelessness, incarceration, domestic violence, and human trafficking within the field of youth emancipation.

We hope to launch our first site soon, which will be located in Waco, Texas. Through it we will be working with youth who have aged out of foster care by partnering with churches, teams of volunteers, and collaborative organizations. Implementing this phase of the our organization is just the beginning and is a huge leap of faith.

Click here for the full proposal.

Will you join us?

Waco Texas Site

By EMPTY FRAMES INITIATIVE

Waco Texas Site

Help us launch a short-term residential program for youth leaving foster care in Waco, Texas!