Found Village tells City Council its long-term relationship model helps youth exit foster and justice systems

Found Village told the Cincinnati Climate, Environment and Infrastructure Committee that its long-term, relationship-driven model helps youth involved in foster care and the juvenile justice system build stability and self‑sufficiency.

The presentation, delivered to the committee by Katie Inzekwu and Tamara Thompson, outlined the nonprofit’s model, recent outcomes and partnerships and asked the city for continued and expanded support, including help finding a youth center to increase capacity.

Why it matters: Committee members were shown outcomes the presenters said link sustained adult relationships to improved school attendance, employment and reduced interactions with the justice system. Found Village’s leaders said those results support preventive investment in youth services rather than short-term crisis spending.

Katie Inzekwu, co‑founder and co‑executive director of Found Village, said the organization stays with young people long term "up until their mid‑twenties" to support transitions to independence. Tamara Thompson, introduced in the committee agenda as Found Village’s content strategist and the organization’s public presenter, said the group serves many youth who are "multi‑system involved" and that the program’s core is long‑term relationship building.

Thompson summarized participant survey results the group provided to the committee, saying 92% of respondents reported they receive needed support at Found Village, 97% rated the coaching and mentoring as important, 99% said they felt welcome and included, 81% reported increased excitement about the future and the program reported an 85% annual retention rate. Thompson also cited mental‑health and risk statistics she attributed to the organization’s intake data: "40 percent attempted suicide in the previous year, 60 percent displayed symptoms of post‑traumatic stress disorder, 20 percent are experiencing substance dependence, and 15 percent have chronic medical conditions."

The presenters described entry paths into the program: direct referrals from Hamilton County Jobs and Family Services (child welfare), multi‑system referrals (juvenile court, mental health and child welfare intersections) and private scholarships funded by foundations or donors for youth who reach Found Village through word‑of‑mouth. Inzekwu said the nonprofit currently serves about 70 young people and plans to expand to 100 this year if it secures additional space and funding.

Found Village also described national and local partnerships that support its work, naming Stand Together Foundation, New Profit, Jack in the Box Foundation, American Idea Foundation and national youth‑care organizations as strategic partners; Interact for Health and United Way were cited as local partners. Thompson said the nonprofit has been a Human Service Fund grantee for the past two years and that it received a federal grant in December, which it is monitoring for continuity.

Committee members asked about system coordination, funding streams and operational barriers. Councilwoman Mika Owens, chairwoman of the Climate, Environment and Infrastructure Committee, asked how youth are referred and how mentoring reaches a 100% satisfaction rate; Inzekwu and Thompson described three formal referral routes and said program design, youth leadership in program design and consistent adult coaching drive those results.

Councilmember Walsh praised the presentation and asked whether the city could help by coordinating shared services; Thompson answered that the major barrier to broader coordination is differing paradigms about youth work and a need for system‑level alignment rather than simply more money. Councilmember Krammerding asked which government agencies are primary partners; the presenters cited Hamilton County Jobs and Family Services as the principal funding and referral partner and described ongoing partnerships with juvenile court and the mental health board.

Presenters identified operational barriers that limit young people’s access to jobs and services, including lack of a permanent address, difficulty securing transcripts and birth certificates, and the administrative work needed to launch a youth into education or employment. Thompson said Found Village is building a basic‑needs resourcing and care‑coordination capability to hold documentation and expedite access to opportunities.

The presenters framed the organization as a long‑term, preventive alternative to short‑term intervention: Inzekwu told the committee there are "only 110 kids in Hamilton County that age out of foster care every year" and said Found Village aims to solve that gap through targeted support and adoption referrals. Thompson recounted a longitudinal example — a young man the organization calls "Daryl" — who she said arrived with intake forms labeling him as dangerous but who, after more than seven years with Found Village, is employed at roughly $40 per hour, has a child and serves as a leader in the program.

No formal vote on policy or funding occurred during the presentation. At the conclusion of the item Chairwoman Mika Owens said the committee would "file item number 1," and the meeting moved on.

Found Village asked the committee for continued Human Service Fund support and assistance identifying a city youth center to increase its capacity. Presenters also requested continued cross‑sector coordination with child welfare, juvenile court and local funders to expand access points.

The committee received the presentation and opened a short question period; members expressed support and interest in system alignment, data sharing and youth employment barriers. The item was filed by the committee at the conclusion of the discussion; no roll‑call vote was recorded.

For follow‑up: Found Village seeks city assistance locating a youth center and continuing Human Service Fund support while the organization ramps capacity to serve additional youth.