The choice to become more: FYI+FSS 2026 Training Event

FYI and FSS: THE CHOICE TO BECOME MORE

HUD’s Fostering Stable Housing Opportunities (FSHO) Act of 2019 allows youth with FYI vouchers to extend their voucher to five years by enrolling in HUD’s Family Self Sufficiency (FSS) Program.  With the advent of this law, FSS Coordinators are increasingly playing a pivotal role in the lives of former foster youth and the results are magical.  Together with Child Welfare Independent Living Coordinators, who are charged with helping children as early as age 14 plan for a successful transition to adulthood – these professionals are making a huge impact upon their communities. 

August 18-21, 2026 in Reston, VA, during this year’s “Growing Pains” Conference, the National Center for Housing and Child Welfare and the Daniel Memorial Institute will offer an opportunity to bring together FSS Coordinators and Child Welfare Independent Living Coordinators to share best practices on coupling FSS and FYI as a platform for independence. 

This three-day event will follow the first national FYI Symposium. 

Professionals from across the US will come together to evidence-based curriculum about How to disrupt learned helplessness and help foster youth build independence from the inside out called “The Choice to Become More.”

What if the most powerful turning point in a young person’s life isn’t a new program — but a new belief about who they can become?

The Choice to Become More is an identity‑based workshop designed for professionals who support youth transitioning out of foster care or Family Self‑Sufficiency (FSS) programs. This session equips counselors, program leaders, and social service professionals with practical tools to help young people break free from learned helplessness and shift from “life happens to me” to “I can shape what happens next.”

Through compelling stories, simple frameworks, and experiential exercises, participants learn how to:

- Identify and interrupt the internal patterns that keep youth stuck
- Decode the belief systems behind “victim” or survival‑mode thinking
- Strengthen self‑talk and build agency
- Create small, repeatable wins that restore confidence and independence
- Guide youth from circumstance‑driven to choice‑driven decision‑making

Attendees leave with a step‑by‑step approach to help youth move from “I’m on my own” to “I have what it takes.” This workshop doesn’t just prepare youth to age out of the system — it helps them rise into a future they choose by design.

To register click here.