In Depth

Young people in foster care offer personal perspectives that can inform agencies, legislators, and other key policymakers about the need for family permanence and solid preparation for adulthood. As the ultimate "consumers," youth can provide vital perspectives on what is "working" and what is not. As you seek experts to guide your work, remember to include youth in foster care.

Tapping the expertise of youth advocacy boards

The Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative (JCYOI) believes that better outcomes require youth involvement on many levels. JCYOI sponsors youth leadership boards throughout the country to engage young people in community efforts to improve foster care.

Whether youth boards are agency supported or not, they can inform agency work. Examples of agency-supported boards include the Maine Youth Leadership Advisory Team, a team of youth in care, ages 14 to 21, that helps the Bureau of Child and Family Services develop and revise bureau policies to create safety, comfort, and opportunities for all children and youth in care.

The Rhode Island Youth Advisory Board, composed of foster youth 16 to 21 years of age, works with the department in shaping programs that meet youth needs. The group recently mobilized to share with state legislators their opinions on proposals to cut child welfare spending and make other changes that woud affect foster youth.

Examples of youth advocacy efforts not directly affiliated with an agency include New York City's Youth Justice Board, a group of high school students ages 15 to 19, most of whom are or have been in foster care. In 2007, the board studied challenges faced by foster youth in family court's permanency planning process. They developed a report, which they then presented to an audience that included New York City Council members, researchers, judges, policymakers, and members of the press.

Another board, the Youth-Led Evaluation Project of California Youth Connection researched the experiences of youth in group care. After collecting and analyzing information, the youth evaluators presented recommendations to local and state policymakers, as well as health and mental health providers, group home administrators, foundation staff, and advocates. Among their recommendations: greater support for youth to succeed in school and better planning with youth regarding life after foster care.

Youth legislative advocates

In Maine, a young woman in foster care sparked legislative reform to ensure sibling visits for children in foster care.

When a school assignment required writing a letter to a government official, Kala Clarke, then 12 years old, went right to the top. She wrote the governor of Maine to share how painful it was to be in foster care and not be able to visit regularly with her younger siblings. Kala brought her concern to the Maine Youth Leadership Advisory Team, a team of Maine youth in foster care between the ages of 14 and 21, with excellent results. A new law takes effect this year to give siblings separated as a result of foster care the right to regularly scheduled visits whenever "reasonable and practicable."
learn more: Youth Impacting Sibling Policies in Maine

In Massachusetts, youth testified before the state legislature about the importance of family connections in their lives.

When a state legislative committee was created to bring the state's child welfare statutes up to date and meet national standards in 1998, 35 youth in care were right there to help legislators understand what was needed. At a private, one-day hearing, the youth testified one by one about the importance of family connections. And when the legislation was introduced, the focus was exactly on what the youth had emphasized: family connections. According to legislators, the youth's testimony had the most powerful impact on the committee's work.
learn more: Voice Magazine: Youth Raise Voices to Create Change

In Connecticut, youth advocated for stronger legal representation for those in foster care. Youth in foster care provided critically needed testimony at two different hearings when state legislators were ready to make decisions about the budget for the Commission on Child Protection, which appoints and pays attorneys in child-protection cases. The young people described having aged out of the foster care system without knowing about a legal advocate that could have helped them find a permanent family and who could have ensured that their educational, vocational, mental health and life skills needs were met. Their testimony immediately captured the legislators' attention. Since those hearings, new legislation has been introduced to strengthen legal services for youth in foster care.
learn more: Bridgeport Youth Advocate for Better Legal Representation

Engaging Youth in the CFSR process

Many states are now working with youth for the next round of the Child and Family Service Reviews (CFSRs). Youth may be involved as stakeholders in the Statewide Self-Assessment and On-site Reviews, as members of the CFSR team, participants in the exit conferences, reviewers of the final report, and members of the Performance Improvement Plan Advisory Committee.

North Dakota engages youth in its yearly state CFSR process. Youth groups in each of eight regions provide information on the system's strengths and challenges; individual participants complete a survey providing additional information about his or her experiences in foster care. Two to three youth serve on the quality assurance team and participate in other stakeholder groups (caseworkers, the legal system, the school system, foster parents, community stakeholders, and county directors). Youth are also involved in the 2008 federal CFSR self assessment and review.

More Strategies

Other methods of including youth:

• Hiring youth as staff members. Next summer, Louisiana plans to hire youth ages 16 to 21, currently or formerly in foster care, as student interns charged with examining the agency's youth development policies.
• Engaging youth in curriculum development and training. With input from youth in care, Utah developed a curriculum on youth engagement, slated to be tested soon with current and former foster youth, caseworkers, administrators, community partners, and parents.

Tools for Involving Young People

Following are tools to increase youth involvement in developing, implementing, and evaluating policies, programs, and legislative proposals. This is a developing list; if you have a tool that works for you, share it with Connections Count.

Training

Partnering with Youth: Involving Youth in Child Welfare Training and Curriculum Development from the Muskie School of Public Service, University of Southern Maine.

Involvement in the CFSR Process (from the National Child Welfare Resource Center for Organizational Improvement and the National Child Welfare Resource Center for Youth Development)

2007 CFSR Toolkit for Youth Involvement: Engaging Youth in the Child and Family Service Review

CFSR 101: a guide to the CFSR process for youth

Organizational Decision Making

Fourteen Points to Successfully Involving Youth in Organizational Decision Making: a comprehensive guide to youth involvement, from the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network, that includes guidelines, worksheets, tips, and a resource directory designed to help young people and adults work together.

Youth on Board: Why and How to Involve Young People in Organizational Decision-Making: detailed information, from BoardSource about the steps to take to successfully involve youth in organizational governance.

Engaging Alumni

Casey Family Programs' Focus on Foster Care: Engaging Alumni of Foster Care

Casey Family Programs' Better Together: A facilitated program for agency administrators and alumni of foster care