Oregon: Youth Like Me, Who Have Left Foster Care Without Family, Have What It Takes To Succeed, But We Can’t Do It Alone Especially Now
I spent six years in foster care, and although difficult in many ways, that time during my youth gave me the resilience, passion and drive for the life I have now. I consider myself one of the foster care success stories. But, I can’t imagine if coronavirus had hit when I was transitioning out of care. I am in a...
Webinar Recording & Recap: A Historic Opportunity to Reform the Child Welfare System: Youth & Alumni Priorities on Quality Residential Services
On July 2, 2020, The National Foster Care Youth and Alumni Council hosted a webinar to discuss their 2020 Priorities: A Historic Opportunity to Reform the Child Welfare System: Youth & Alumni Priorities on Quality Residential Services Webinar. The webinar featured two Council Members, Ke’Onda Johnson, from Florida and David Hall, from Oklahoma. David and Ke’Onda provided first-hand information about...
Minnesota: Living Through This COVID-19 Pandemic Is Like Reliving My Time In Foster Care
As a young adult who spent nearly 8 years in foster care before aging out, you’d think I’d be used to feeling like my life is out of my control. Living in foster care means never knowing what the day will bring and what will happen next. And, living through this COVID-19 epidemic is like reliving my time in foster...
Los Angeles, CA: Just Like That, My Transition To Adulthood Became Even More Difficult
More than anything I want to create a world where youth in foster care don’t have to fear being alone and not having a place to live. That’s why I’m attending Cal State Los Angeles, studying to become a social worker. In fact, just before the pandemic hit I had received my offer letter to do my fieldwork placement with...
From Louisiana: Living through COVID reminds me of foster care: social isolation, constant changes and lack of control
The COVID-19 crisis has turned everyone’s lives upside down. But for young people who have experienced foster care who are transitioning to adulthood, this crisis is hitting especially hard. I consider myself a success story, one of the resilient 3 percent of foster youth who age out of care without families who graduate from high school and college. I am...
Rhode Island Young Leader thanks Congressional Child Welfare Champions for supporting foster youth during this crisis
Mayra, a former foster youth from Rhode Island, thanks Representatives Langevin, Bass, Bacon and Mullin for HR 6766 which will increase Chafee by $500 million and provide older youth with help needed to navigate the Covid 19 crisis. Mayra expresses that young people in and from foster care are facing struggles with housing, employment, and mental health. Without this assistance...