What is the NYTD Survey?
NYTD stands for the National Youth in Transition Database but it’s really all about you and your voice.
The NYTD Survey is your chance to share about your life and experiences in foster care. You take it at 17, 19, and 21, and it asks about things like school, jobs, housing, health, and the support you have around you. It’s a chance for you to say, “Here’s what’s really going on,” so the system can do better.
Your voice helps shape the services that are supposed to help you succeed.
What’s in this for Me?
Here’s what you get for taking the NYTD Survey:
- A stipend…you get paid for your time. This is our way of saying thank you for sharing your experience and helping identify ways to make the system better
- A real say in how services for youth in care can be developed
- A chance to make things better for yourself and others
- An opportunity to have your voice heard at the state and federal level
- An opportunity to influence change at the state and national level
Your feedback and honesty can help create real change.
Why Your Voice Matters
You know better than anyone what it’s like to prepare for adulthood while being in care. Your experiences, your challenges, and your wins give us the clearest picture of what support really looks like.
When you take the NYTD Survey, you help us understand:
- What’s working
- What’s not working
- What needs to change so you and other youth get better support
Your answers help improve the programs that are meant help prepare you for adulthood…things like life-skills training, education support, job readiness, and more.
What the Survey Asks About
The questions focus on real- life experiences that matter to you:
- School & Education
- Jobs & Money
- Housing & Stability
- Supportive Adults
- Health Insurance
- Life Choices & Challenges
There are no right or wrong answers, just your truth.
Bottom Line
The NYTD Survey is your voice, your story, your impact and you get a stipend for sharing it. Your experiences matter, and your feedback helps shape better support for you and for other youths.
Update Your Contact Information
Are you in foster care now or were you in the past? We want to hear from you! Send us an email at youth@mdcps.ms so we can stay connected.