L.Y.G.H.T. News, October 2025

A program of Dougy Center: The National Grief Center for Children & Families

Issue 19, October 2025

L.Y.G.H.T. is Coming to Portland, Oregon

We are excited to announce that L.Y.G.H.T. is coming to Portland, Oregon! In partnership with our incredible local community partners, L.Y.G.H.T. peer grief support groups will be provided for teens and young adults in foster care in Portland.

Project Lemonade will provide a L.Y.G.H.T. group for teens in foster care. Project Lemonade serves youth in foster care throughout the community by providing resources, opportunities, and connections, including the Project Lemonade Store that invites youth in foster care to shop for new and on-trend clothing. Learn more about Project Lemonade here.

New Avenues for Youth will provide a L.Y.G.H.T. group for young adults in or recently transitioned out of foster care. New Avenues for Youth offers an array of resources focusing on the prevention and intervention of youth homelessness, including programming that specifically supports youth who are currently or formerly in foster care. Learn more about New Avenues for Youth here.

We extend our deepest gratitude to our community partners, Project Lemonade and New Avenues for Youth, and our funder, the Portland Children’s Levy, for their support and commitment to providing peer grief support to teens and young adults in foster in Portland.

Both groups will launch in early 2026. Stay tuned for future updates and announcements about L.Y.G.H.T. in Portland!

L.Y.G.H.T. Hosts Facilitator Training and Executive Session in SC

We recently hosted another successful L.Y.G.H.T. Facilitator Training in South Carolina! In September, 12 new facilitators completed the training, joining our dedicated network of facilitators who make the L.Y.G.H.T. program possible.

We extend our deepest gratitude to both our newest and long-standing facilitators. Their commitment is essential to sustaining L.Y.G.H.T. at every community site and supporting youth in foster care who are grieving throughout South Carolina.

In addition, executive directors from L.Y.G.H.T. community sites across South Carolina (Crosswell, Helping Hands, Landmarks for Families, Palmetto Place, and Thornwell) gathered in Columbia, SC to participate in the annual L.Y.G.H.T Executive Session. A special thank you to Executive Leadership at all our sites for sharing insights and strengthening our commitment to support youth in foster care. Because of you and your teams, youth in foster care who are grieving don’t have to walk this journey alone.

Hot Off the Press – New L.Y.G.H.T. Publication!

The findings from the L.Y.G.H.T. program’s second randomized trial have now been published. “We Need a Safe Place to Talk About How We Feel”: A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Peer Grief Support Intervention for Youth in Foster Care is currently published as an online first article in OMEGA – Journal of Death & Dying.

In the study, youth who participated in the L.Y.G.H.T. program reported increased social support, hopefulness, and self-worth compared to youth who did not participate in the L.Y.G.H.T. program.

Find the full publication here.

Connect with L.Y.G.H.T.

Follow L.Y.G.H.T. on Instagram: @lyghtprogram and Facebook: @lyghtprogram for updates, upcoming events, and grief resources for supporting youth in foster care.

If you are in South Carolina and would like to learn more about making a youth referral to one of our L.Y.G.H.T. community sites in the Lowcountry, Midlands, Upstate or PeeDee regions, please click here, contact SC L.Y.G.H.T. State Coordinator, Juliette Martinez, MSW, or visit our program finder.

For more about L.Y.G.H.T., send us an email or visit our website.