New Oregon Pilot Program Helps Foster Teens Build Life Skills

Partnership aims to prevent homelessness and instability by offering housing, skills training and mental health care to 16- and 17-year-old teens.

Mar. 31, 2026 at 1:53am by Ben Kaplan

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An extremely abstracted, out-of-focus photograph of a cozy living room with warm lighting, conveying a sense of comfort and care for the foster teens who will reside in the new transition home.The new foster teen transition home in Portland aims to give vulnerable youth a supportive environment to build life skills and prepare for independent living.Portland Today

A new program in Oregon is partnering the state's Department of Human Services with the nonprofit New Narrative to support teenagers in foster care before they age out of the system. The initiative centers on a home in North Portland designed to help 16- and 17-year-old foster youth transition to independent living, providing 24/7 supervision and services to teach essential life skills.

Why it matters

Many foster youth in Oregon struggle to find stability after leaving the system, with about a quarter reporting homelessness by age 21. This pilot program represents a new approach to address those challenges and better prepare foster teens for independent living.

The details

The home in North Portland will give young people a structured environment to learn skills like cleaning, cooking, and managing a schedule, while still maintaining some independence. 'If they stumble or fall, it's OK. They're here, and they can try and try again,' said Sara Fox, a treatment services program manager with the Oregon Department of Human Services.

  • The two-year pilot program launched in March 2026.

The players

Megan Soucy

The director of youth services at New Narrative, who developed the idea for the program about two years ago.

Sara Fox

A treatment services program manager with the Oregon Department of Human Services, who said the program represents a new approach for the state.

New Narrative

A nonprofit organization partnering with the Oregon Department of Human Services on the pilot program.

Oregon Department of Human Services

The state agency partnering with New Narrative on the pilot program to support foster teens transitioning to independent living.

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What they’re saying

“This is my … my baby.”

— Megan Soucy, Director of youth services, New Narrative

“We're seeing a lot of deficits in them being able to clean and cook and manage a schedule and do things on their own to set them up for a sustainable life later on.”

— Megan Soucy, Director of youth services, New Narrative

“Instead of just thinking about it or dreaming about it, it's a reality.”

— Sara Fox, Treatment services program manager, Oregon Department of Human Services

“Usually, it's address the mental health need, then we'll think about independence. But sometimes kids can't wait for that. They're done trying the traditional routes.”

— Sara Fox, Treatment services program manager, Oregon Department of Human Services

“If they stumble or fall, it's OK. They're here, and they can try and try again.”

— Sara Fox, Treatment services program manager, Oregon Department of Human Services

What’s next

The two-year pilot program will be evaluated to determine if it can become a permanent solution for young people who struggle to find stability in traditional foster care settings.

The takeaway

This innovative program in Oregon represents a new approach to better support foster teens as they transition to independent living, providing them with a structured environment to learn essential life skills and receive mental health care, with the goal of preventing homelessness and instability.