Young people have dreams!  They have goals!  They want to contribute to the common good!  They want to become successful adults!  But there are barriers … so many barriers.  There are socio-economic barriers, racial barriers, mental health barriers, sexual and gender identity barriers, academic barriers. The list goes on and on. Unfortunately due to these and other barriers, young people find themselves in a fight to simply survive.

TAYLRD aims to change all that with Drop-In Centers set up for teens and young adults ages 16-25 in Louisville and Taylorsville.  The Louisville location officially opens on Thursday, December 10^th at 2:30 PM with remarks from Metro Council President David Tandy and Seven Counties Services TAYLRD Program Director Anita Roper along with a live remote with B96’s Tropikana.  Transition Age Youth Launching Realized Dreams or TAYLRD is a new Seven Counties program born from the Federal Government’s Healthy Transitions Grant program called “Now is the Time” and the Kentucky Department of Behavioral Health’s recommended TAYLRD model.

Now IS the time for young people to thrive, not survive!

TAYLRD is a place where young people can come to build community and find support /services needed to help make their dreams come true. The drop-in centers are inviting places, equipped with pool tables, video gaming, board games, books and snacks. They are supportive places, with a computer lab and laundry facilities to help with basic needs. The sites will offer services by bringing in service providers to assist young people in setting goals and realizing dreams, all on site.

The drop-in centers, named “The Taylorsville Drop” and “The Louisville Drop,” are staffed by Youth Peer Support Specialists (YPSS) and Youth Coordinators who are in the transition age group and have had some form of system involvement themselves.  Supports and services offered through the TAYLRD Drop centers include life skills, vocational services, academic support, therapeutic support, case management and court support.  There will be pool tournaments, magic tournaments, open mic nights; Tai Chi classes, drum circles; the possibilities are limited only by the imagination of our young people.   TAYLRD is open Monday – Friday from 3-6PM with additional hours available based on need.

TAYLRD … Transition Age Youth Launching Realized Dreams ……a place where dreams come true!