LifeSet_sole_source_letter_updated_and_signed_3.23.2023.pdf

This document is a letter dated March 23, 2023, from Youth Villages, Inc., a national nonprofit organization that provides services for youth and young adults. The letter describes the organization's LifeSet™ program, which operates across 23 states and Washington D.C., focusing on supporting youth transitioning out of foster care. The document highlights the organization's history, beginning with its incorporation in 1986 through a merger of two residential facilities in Memphis, TN, and details a research-backed intervention model for youth aging out of state custody.

The LifeSet model is a proprietary program designed to help young people successfully transition to independence, with a focus on maintaining stable housing, avoiding legal involvement, participating in educational and vocational programs, and developing critical life skills. A significant research study evaluated the LifeSet services, demonstrating that participants achieved higher earnings, increased housing stability, and improved mental health. The program was developed through research by MDRC, with additional involvement from the University of Chicago's School of Social Service Administration, and is exclusively owned and implemented by Youth Villages, which claims copyright, trademark, and trade secret rights to the model and its associated materials.