Transforming Lives for Over 25 Years
Passionate Beginnings
Founded on February 5, 1992, by Cindy Skinner, Focus on Youth began with a vision to improve the lives of children. Cindy, who spent years as a protective case worker with Hamilton County DJFS as well as an adoption worker, foster parent, and adoptive parent, was discouraged by the number of youth entering residential treatment. She believed children would fare far better if foster parents were trained to work with the unique needs of youth in care and educated to remain committed to the placement.
With permanency a primary goal, our services quickly expanded beyond foster care to behavioral health services and then adoption services in 1996. In 2013, we became a certified community mental health center, which allowed us to offer behavioral health services to all families in the community, not just our foster families.
Passing on the Legacy
In 2015, after 23 years of leadership, Cindy retired and passed the baton to Bryan Forney. Bryan served as Executive Director until 2021, navigating the agency into new partnerships and opportunities that reached even more hurting children. In August 2021, Alicia Ajiboye was chosen as the next CEO of Focus on Youth. She brings a wealth of experience to the role, from Youth Specialist and Training Manager at Focus to working as a medical social worker and providing counseling to sexual abuse survivors. Alicia is honored to lead a team so devoted to supporting vulnerable youth and the families who sacrificially love them, seek to understand their trauma, and help them heal.
A Future of Hope
Focus on Youth has worked with thousands of youth and families and is ready to help thousands more. Our philosophy is simple: we believe no trauma is too big to overcome, kids grow best in families, kids in care need foster families who won’t give up on them, and parents are key players in the success of all youth. That is why we provide strong support, professional training, and effective treatment interventions for the foster and biological parents of the children we serve.
From Executive Director to Receptionist to foster parents, every person involved with this organization is equally passionate about the youth and families we serve.
