Mission
We uplift people with lived foster care experience through connection, collaboration, and community. By providing leadership opportunities, skills training, and advocacy, we create space for growth, accountability, and lasting impact.
Vision
We envision a future where youth with foster care experience are empowered, supported, and given equal opportunities to thrive, succeed, and lead fulfilling lives.
Our Story
TAFYS was founded on a simple yet powerful truth: young people who have experienced foster care are experts in their own lives. Too often, systems are built around them without their voices at the table. TAFYS exists to change that.
Rooted in lived experience, we bring together youth, alumni, and allies to co-design programs, shape policy conversations, and build community. We believe that every young person is a star with limitless potential, and that with the proper support, they can define success on their own terms.
From youth-led events like Home for the Holidays to year-round leadership opportunities and partnerships with community organizations, TAFYS is working to ensure that no young person has to navigate the transition from foster care alone.
Our Values
Our work is grounded in core values that shape how we build relationships, make decisions, and show up for young people and community partners.
Community
We are stronger together, creating spaces where youth feel seen, heard, and connected.
Accountability
We commit to transparency, follow-through, and shared responsibility in all we do.
Inclusion
We celebrate diverse identities and experiences and center those most impacted by systems.
Advocacy
We speak up alongside youth to shift narratives, policies, and practices.
Growth
We support personal, professional, and collective growth for youth and our community.
Team & Board
TAFYS is led by people with lived experience in foster care and allies who believe in youth-led change. Our staff, Youth Advisory Council, and Board of Directors work together to keep TAFYS rooted in the community and accountable to the young people we serve.
Staff & Leadership
Meet the people behind TAFYS
Learn about the team members who support programs, partnerships, and youth leadership across Texas.
Board of Directors
Community-rooted governance
Our board helps guide TAFYS with strategic vision, accountability, and long-term sustainability.
Youth Advisory Council (YAC)
Youth-led leadership
Young leaders with foster care experience who help design, guide, and evaluate TAFYS programs.
Youth at the Center of Our Work
The TAFYS Youth Advisory Council (YAC) brings together young people with foster care experience to lead projects, inform decisions, and represent TAFYS in the community.
YAC members help shape events, provide feedback on programs, and speak into advocacy priorities. Their leadership ensures that TAFYS remains grounded in real experiences, not assumptions.
YAC members help:
- Co-design events and programs
- Share their stories and expertise
- Advise community partners
- Build community with other youth and alumni