Celebrating Progress: Moving Ahead in Advocacy
At Journey to Success, we believe that when we come together, we can make meaningful change and build a brighter future for all youth and young adults who experience foster care. With the new year underway, the campaign is actively at work and looks forward to making a positive impact at the state and federal level.
As we turn our focus to the advocacy ahead in 2025, we draw motivation and inspiration from our colleagues across the country who are energized to achieve meaningful reforms that create more opportunities for youth and young adults experiencing foster care.
With this update, we highlight accomplishments from 2024, share our new report on the youth-driven advocacy movement, and preview what’s ahead for the campaign’s advocacy efforts.
“Our Voices, Our Vision”
Honoring the Legacy of Youth-Driven Advocacy with a Celebration of the Chafee Program & More
In December 2024, a steering committee of leaders from 13 youth advocacy organizations hosted a series of events on Capitol Hill in conjunction with the 25th anniversary of the passage of landmark legislation: the Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood (aka the Chafee Program). Each host organization engaged advocates with lived experience in foster care, resulting in more than 70 lived experts from around the country joining the Our Voices, Our Vision celebration and related advocacy activities. These events, as well as the months of planning and preparation, were a true testament of the thriving youth-driven advocacy movement that has spanned more than 25 years and has spurred numerous policy achievements that promote opportunities for youth and young adults who experience foster care.
Over 200 guests attended the kick off event – a Celebration of the Chafee Program – held on Capitol Hill and dozens more tuned into the live stream. Advocacy leaders and guest speakers from around the country spoke about the history of the movement and shared examples of federal and state-level policy achievements since Chafee’s passage. We’re grateful to each of these inspiring speakers, many of whom have lived experience in the child welfare system:
Our Voices, Our Vision steering committee members included:
California Youth Connection, the Center for the Study of Social Policy, the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute, Foster Care Alumni of America, Foster Youth In Action, FosterClub, iFoster, Journey to Success, National Foster Youth Institute, the Partnership For America’s Children, Think of Us, Youth Law Center, and Youth Villages.
Jennifer Rodriguez, a leading voice for youth and families and executive director of the Youth Law Center
Dr. Alfred Perez, a social scientist specializing in the experiences of young people with foster care histories
April Curtis, founding board member and current board chair of Foster Care Alumni of America
Terry Harrak, expert trainer on youth involvement and manager for Quality Parenting Initiative and Just Beginning Program
Tony Parsons, a dedicated policy advocate with years of experience in federal advocacy
Ziigwan Frazer, a policy and advocacy manager with Minnesota’s Foster Advocates
Lisa Dickson, founding member of Foster Care Alumni of America, communications Chair for ACTION Ohio, co-facilitator of the OHIO Youth Advisory Board, and former chair of Ohio Reach
Eddye Vanderkwaak, Journey to Success team member, and experienced Iowa-based advocate and multi-disciplined creative with a focus on social justice and positive youth development.
Kodi Baughman, an experienced advocate focused on creating positive changes in systems and giving youth a chance to be heard. Affiliations include Iowa’s Cultural Equity Alliance, National Foster Care Youth & Alumni Policy Council and Foster Care Alumni of America.
Kaysie Getty, accomplished child welfare expert and driving force behind the start of New Jersey’s statewide Youth Council, currently serving as a senior program analyst at the Center for the Study of Social Policy
Huyanna Clearwater, an experienced advocate in Maine and one of the first partners to Journey to Success
Ahmen Cabral, with Maine’s Youth Leadership Advisory Team (YLAT), also involved in the Southern Maine Youth Transition Network
Leonard Burton, President and Chief Executive Office at the Center for the Study of Social Policy and long-time social justice leader.
Todd Lloyd, senior policy associate at the Annie E Casey Foundation with deep policy expertise on the Chafee program and related policies and practices. The foundation is a generous supporter of Journey to Success
Kawena Cole, program officer at the Conrad Hilton Foundation’s Foster Care Initiative with a deep commitment to social justice practice and leadership. The foundation is a generous supporter of Journey to Success.
In addition, two distinguished Members of Congress joined the event and shared moving remarks about their long-time commitment as policy champions for youth in foster care. Each spoke about legislative achievements and commended the advocacy movement for engaging with policymakers to bring about positive changes. We are grateful to these legislative champions and steadfast supporters of youth in foster care:
Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA), senator from Iowa, founder of the bipartisan Senate Caucus on Foster Youth.
Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), senator from Minnesota, co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional Coalition on Adoption.
Advocacy and engagement continued with two additional policy briefings that connected advocates with Congressional staff from their state for dialogue about the steep climb that young people in foster care experience on their journey to adulthood and needed policy solutions, including better support for mental health and healing, family connections, education and economic opportunities. Here are a few facts that underscore the need for policy improvements:
As many as 80 percent of youth experiencing foster care are estimated to have significant mental health needs.
Permanency rates for teens and young adults are declining, meaning too many youth leave foster care without a forever family.
Data show that extended foster care promotes better outcomes in education, housing, and income for youth ages 18-21 who participate; yet, utilization of extended care is low. By age 19, only one in five youth remain in extended care.
Despite the significant support needs of youth in foster care, only half of all foster youth who are eligible for Chafee services ever receive any of these services during their time in care. What’s more, funding for Chafee has remained unchanged since the program was created in 1999.
“Every child deserves the chance to thrive, regardless of their circumstances. The Chafee Act reminds us of the importance of standing with those who may not have traditional family support systems as they navigate adulthood. Over the past 25 years, this law has made a tangible difference in helping young people access education, housing, and career opportunities, empowering them to overcome challenges and achieve their dreams.
As we reflect on this milestone, the Congressional Coalition on Adoption, and everyone who supports adoption and foster care, must also renew our commitment to improving foster care services and expanding opportunities for every child and youth in need of permanency. Together, we can honor this legacy and ensure its impact continues for generations.”
– Members of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Caucus
Hot off the Presses:
Check out Our New “Milestones” Report Documenting the Legacy of Youth-Driven Advocacy
This month Journey to Success is thrilled to be releasing its new report highlighting the impressive policy gains made by the youth advocacy movement spanning from the passage of the Chafee program through today. The report highlights 25 milestones over the last 25 years and summarizes youth-driven advocacy in seven significant policy areas including:
Engaging youth in policy making
Ensuring all youth have lifelong family connections
Reducing or eliminating placements in harmful group care settings
Addressing barriers to education and employment
Accessing health and mental health services
Securing housing and economic stability
Preventing unnecessary entries into foster care
The report will be available here on our website soon, so please stay tuned, and please share it with any interested colleagues!
New Policy and Program Opportunities in Child Welfare:
Implementation Work is Upon Us
In the final weeks of December, Congress enacted youth- and family-centered legislation, the Protecting America’s Children by Strengthening Families Act (H.R. 9076). The legislation resulted from extensive advocacy by child welfare advocates, including Journey to Success partners, and a robust legislative process that included:
three Congressional committee hearings, including a hearing held in January 2024 featuring testimony by two young people with lived experience in foster care:
Rebekka Behr, former Foster Youth, Tallahassee, Florida (testimony here)
Jordan Otero, former Foster Youth, Muncie, Indiana (testimony here)
the introduction of more than 16 bipartisan bills that were included in a bipartisan committee bill, H.R. 9076 sponsored by Representatives Darin LaHood (R-IL) and Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL).
An overwhelming vote of support (504-10) by the House of Representatives and Senate passage by unanimous consent.
The bipartisan legislation reauthorizes the federal grant programs under Title IV-B of the Social Security Act, and provides flexibility to states and much-needed resources for vital child welfare programs that can help keep families together and nurture the well-being of youth in foster care. The bill’s policy improvements include:
Defining youth as an individual who is not yet 26 years old, which will help state and local agencies better serve young people during their transition from adolescence to adulthood – a key developmental period during which many youth face significant barriers.
Enhancing requirements on agencies to engage and involve key stakeholders in their planning – particularly youth and families involved in child welfare. Requiring agencies to bring youth and families to the table as partners in decision-making — and asking states to report on how they used their feedback — will strengthen and improve services and promote better outcomes. Research clearly demonstrates the benefits of youth and family engagement, and this bill will help more agencies grow this best practice.
Promoting peer-to-peer mentoring and support programs designed to help children, youth, and families learn from others who have similar experiences within the child welfare system. Peer delivered services have been shown to be effective and to provide connections to individuals in their communities who understand what they are going through..
Furthering the important kin-first movement in child welfare by improving kinship policy through investments in kinship navigator programs and specifying kinship families’ eligibility for other Title IV-B programs and services.
The bill also:
Increases mandatory funding for Subpart 2 by $75 million per year beginning in 2026.
Increases the Regional Partnership Grants to address parental substance use for families involved in child welfare by $10 million a year.
Increases the Court Improvement Program (funding for state and tribal courts tasked with managing child welfare cases) by $10 million a year.
Provides $5 million to support program evaluations to expand the list of evidence-based services available in the Family First Prevention Services Clearinghouse.
Increases Title IV-B funds for tribes and reduces their barriers to participating in Title IV-B.
Permits Title IV-B funds to be used for nonrecurring, short-term benefits that address a crisis or urgent need, such housing.
Directs HHS to work with states, tribes and territories to reduce administrative burden with streamlined data collection and reporting.
Standardizes state plans and increases transparency by requiring states to make their plans publicly available. Clarifies that poverty is not neglect and that IV-B funds can support Family Resource Centers and other supports for families.
Here’s a topic-by-topic summary of the bill produced by Zach Laris of Bolder Horizons. PLUG: Zach hosts a terrific new blog, the Child Welfare Wonk. For even more detail, you can see this CRS report which shows expected state by state funding increases that are scheduled to take effect Oct 1.
Looking Ahead:
Our Advocacy Journey Continues
We’re inspired by the latest policy milestones and are committed to supporting quality, timely implementation. At the same time, our advocacy work is far from over and we’re eager to continue working alongside partners to spur further policy reforms. Policy priorities in 2025 include:
Family permanency
Removing barriers to extended foster care
Addressing the unmet mental health needs of youth in foster care
Improving educational success and economic opportunities for youth and young adults in foster care
You can visit our website to learn more about Journey to Success and to access a wide array of resources, including:
Our new “Milestones” report (coming soon!)
Point of View Blog – the campaign team and partners share data, policy examples and perspectives on issues impacting youth from foster care.
Federal Legislation Tracker – a searchable database of federal legislation developed and managed by the campaign’s close-in partner, Youth Law Center – specifically Jenny Pokempner! Soon we’ll launch the 2025 tracker, but prior legislative information will remain available.
How to Get Involved – information for interested stakeholders on getting involved with Journey to Success and how to join in the social media conversation.