Show Up Ready: Two Tools for Foster Youth Advocates
If you missed the Playbook advocacy workshops, this is for you.
Dreams, hobbies, and connections shouldn’t stop at the door of the foster care system. But, when you’re worried about where you’re going to sleep, how you’ll pay for food or access important health care services, getting to anything else can feel like too much.
“A lot of us are facing housing issues, trouble finishing school, and barriers to jobs and healthcare. But we also have goals, skills, and the power to create change.”
— Knowledge Grant, She/Her, Spent time in Florida’s foster care system
For a lot of young people, that frustration is exactly what leads them to advocacy — wanting better for themself and the young people coming up behind them.
“I want to be the support person I needed when I was in care for other foster youth.”
— Jasmine Green, She/Her, Spent time in California’s foster care system
If you’ve ever asked yourself questions like these . . .
- What do I say?
- Who do I talk to?
- How do I back up what I know is true?
. . . you’re not the only one.
You already know what needs to change, sometimes you just need the right words to make your case. That's what brought young people together at our recent Playbook advocacy workshops — and what we want every young person to have access to. That's where these two tools come in:
The Playbook, co-designed by young people with lived experience and child welfare leaders across the country, is packed with real examples and recommendations from across the country on housing, education, employment, and more.
The How-To Guide is your cheat sheet for turning the Playbook into action, whatever you're advocating for.
If you missed the workshops, these are still for you to use and make your mark.
Improving Outcomes for Young Adults and the Systems that Serve Them: A Playbook of Best Practices is a project of the National Collaborative on Transition Age Youth (NCTAY), a partnership between the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA), Embark Georgia, FosterClub, and Youth Villages.