On Jan. 28, Wellroot Family Services cut the ribbon on its fully renovated transitional living community for young adults aging out of foster care, “The Oaks” in Decatur.

Every year, there are more than 600 children who age out of Georgia’s foster care system when they turn 18. The new young adults can strike out on their own – or they can receive supportive services from the state to ease a challenging transition.

Wellroot operates one of these services. It owns The Oaks, which currently houses 11 young adults as they transition into adulthood with around-the-clock support, case management, curfews and life skills education.

The faith-based nonprofit bought up the Decatur property in 2022 for $3.3 million. It did a “soft renovation” of the complex that year, so some youth could move in. From there, 11 young adults lived on-property and used the community “hub” space.

In 2025, Wellroot raised another $2 million to fully renovate the property, build a new community center and renovate all the units. The total phased renovation cost $2.6 million. Now, The Oaks has space for 29 young people.

On Jan. 28, Wellroot and local leaders unveiled the renovated complex. It has some notable features: a “hub” with flexible rooms, a renovated kitchen, a large laundry facility, renovated apartments and remediated buildings.

“We did that [remediation,] we made it safe, and then we renovated the building and did trauma-informed design,” Wellroot CEO Allison Ashe said.

Ashe said the nonprofit used “homey” colors to keep the space from feeling like an institution, and she shopped for furniture and artwork using grants and HomeGoods clearance sections. The goal is to create a welcoming, comforting home for their residents.

Georgia State University student Anwar Hogan is a recent “graduate” of the program. He joined the foster care system around 15 years old, when his father passed away and he needed stable housing.

Hogan said he felt like a “prop more than a human’ in foster care – until he got to Wellroot when he turned 20. He moved into a shared apartment

“I enjoyed this place a lot,’ Hogan said. “I wish I could come back.”

Hogan spoke highly of the onsite staff. They would check on him every few hours, provide hygiene items and snacks from the office and support Hogan as he earned his GED. But Hogan also valued his independence.

“The support was great, but they allow you to be on your own, too,” Hogan said.

It’s a blend of structure and freedom. Hogan said residents get a curfew, but they are allowed to leave and hang out with friends. They receive a stipend for groceries, but budgeting is up to the young adult. They all receive welcome baskets and constant support, but they must pursue jobs and education.

“[The residents] understand it’s to fill gaps for them,” Ashe said. “It’s very important that they really start to make that transition into adulthood.”

Now, Hogan is on track to graduate from Georgia State University and pursue his dream of launching a fashion line. It’s the kind of success story Wellroot hopes to continue, especially with added capacity at The Oaks.

The star of the renovation is the updated center building. It has a renovated kitchen, an airy sunroom and plenty of space for the residents and staff.

“That’s really going to be the hub of activity for the property,” Ashe said.

There are rooms for counseling and therapy, space for “life skills” lessons like cooking and room for holiday celebrations.

“It’s also where they will meet with the staff and their case managers to work on developing their case plan, which is their plan for how they’re going to transition into young adulthood,” Ashe said.

As they transition out of the Decatur community, Wellroot works to set their young people up for success. Through programs like the Fostering Success Tax Credit and ongoing philanthropy, Ashe hopes the nonprofit will be able to keep up its work – and expand to help more young people in need.

“These young people are just young people who need a place to live,” Ashe said.

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