Supporting Youth Connections After Adoption
Written by Alex Oleson, 2020 ACF All-In Youth Engagement Team Member The goal for any young person in the foster care system is permanency. Although this looks different in every case there are currently over 122,000 young people whose parental rights have been terminated and they are oftentimes lingering around in care without achieving adoption or legal permanency. In 2019...
What is Youth Engagement?
Written by Courtney Canova, 2020 ACF All-In Youth Engagement Team Member & Member of the National Foster Care Youth & Alumni Policy Council Over the past several years the child welfare system has shifted some focus to preserve and strengthen families. This shift can be attributed to data collection or even changes in policy or funding streams for services. However...
Improving How We Support Young People in Achieving Permanency
Written by Aleks Talsky, Member of the ACF All-In Youth Engagement Team Policymakers, agencies, and professionals continue to expand and develop best practices around achieving permanency for young people served by the child welfare system. Whether it is adoption, reunification, or guardianship, the path to permanency can look very different depending on the situation and the best interest of the...
What’s Your Theme Song?
Music has always been very influential in my life. That being said, I am not musically talented in any way. Believe me when I tell you that I was most certainly not blessed with the ability to sing, read music, or play an instrument of any kind. Despite the fact that musical ability is not one of my gifts, it...
All-In Campaign: Youth Engagement Team Members
In October 2020, the All-In Campaign Youth Engagement Team was launched with eleven young people with lived experience in foster care, led by Youth Engagement Coordinator, Joshua Christian Oswald. Learn more about why these young leaders are passionate about permanency and successfully supporting young people in permanency. Alex Oleson.png Alex Oleson is currently a member of the Youth Engagement Committee...
8 Tips for Getting through the Holidays
Let's face it, the holidays can be tough for young people in foster care, and this year perhaps more so than ever. Young people in foster care may feel lonely because they are separated from family or friends, or anxious about being in a different living arrangement. FosterClub's PeerUp! youth created 8 tips and tricks for youth in care. Please...