The Youth Mentoring Services Program (YMSP) provides evidence-based mentoring services to youth involved with LCCYS to enhance their soft skills, self-sufficiency, skill attainment and character development to assist them in transitioning to adulthood as productive members of society. Youth in out of home placement who have experienced trauma in the form of abuse and/or neglect are at-risk for under education, unemployment, homelessness, criminalization and other negative outcomes. Mentoring is the practice of a more experienced person (mentor) acting in a non-professional helping capacity to provide relationship-based support that enhances one or more areas of a young person’s (mentee’s) development. The mentoring program will strive to promote the welfare and safety of young persons, honor youth’s voices in service delivery and design, respect youth’s rights and dignity, promote justice for young people, strive for equity, cultural responsiveness and positive change and provide a mentor that is trustworthy and responsible, who acts with integrity to strengthen youth’s resiliency and be a light to lead youth out of the darkness.