Racing to the Finish Line

LifeSet expands to Connecticut, thanks to public/private partnership

This story was printed with permission from YouthLife Villages and appeared in the organization's 2024 Annual Report.

Garrett entered his senior year of high school with the goal of attending college. However, the track-and-field athlete needed assistance in getting over some hurdles to reach his goals. He was referred to LifeSet, which is called Transitional Supports for Emerging Adults (TSEA) in Connecticut.

Through a public/private partnership between the Department of Children and Families (DCF) and Youth Villages, LifeSet launched in Connecticut in late 2019, aiming to make the passage from foster care to adulthood smoother for young people like Garrett.  LifeSet services are offered by two providers — Wheeler Health and Community Health Resources — and are available in roughly two-thirds of the state.

At age 17, Garrett entered foster care. The foster home provided Garrett with a safe space to stay, but he still needed assistance to help make his college dreams come true. That’s when the foster care referred him to LifeSet through Wheeler Health, a nonprofit community-based agency providing primary care and behavioral health services across Connecticut.

Garrett was paired with Danielle, a LifeSet lead specialist. They hit it off and began navigating the college application process. They researched schools along with scholarship and financial opportunities.

“LifeSet is great for me,” said Garrett. “Meeting Danielle once a week made it a lot easier to get a lot more done.”
LifeSet was there to help provide another voice on his journey.

“Our program for youth works well because it is youth driven,” said Danielle. “LifeSet gave Garrett another adult as a guide through this journey. It’s support that LifeSet offers.”

Now, Garrett is an advocate for programs like LifeSet in Connecticut. He served on a statewide advisory board, and he made trips across the state sharing his experience.

In February 2024, he provided in-person testimony to the state legislature advocating for continued funding for the program.

In December 2024, he took his advocacy to Washington, D.C., where he spoke on a panel supporting the federal Chafee program, which funds state services that support young adults who’ve experienced foster care as they transition to adulthood.

“I’ve been able to get a lot done since coming into LifeSet,” Garrett said. “It helps you with important things that you’re going to need for the rest of your life.”