Youth homelessness is growing. And most people have no idea how bad it really is.

Right now, young people are aging out of foster care with nowhere to go. They are couch surfing, sleeping in cars, and falling through cracks in a system that was supposed to protect them. And the data we have does not even capture the full picture.

Marcella Middleton knows this firsthand. She aged out of foster care at 21, went through 16 placements, and experienced homelessness in college. Today she is the CEO of Away Home America, leading a national movement to end youth homelessness.

Marcella believes that those closest to the pain should lead the solution. That the people most affected by homelessness should be the ones in power. And she is living proof that it works.

She breaks down why youth homelessness keeps growing despite years of effort, why lived experience belongs in the boardroom not just the committee room, and what it really takes to change a system that was never built for you.

If you work in social services, policy, advocacy, or you just care about young people, this one is for you.

To learn more about Marcella and Away Home America, visit https://awayhomeamerica.org