Urgency to Act: Unlocking Foster Youth Wellbeing

Our Impact

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NFYI works to change both individual lives and the child welfare system as a whole. By elevating the voices of individuals with lived experience in the foster care system and partnering with policymakers, we’ve helped pass laws that expand housing and mental health resources, improve financial security, and create lasting reforms that help families stay together and young adults get the support they need to thrive. Our impact is reflected in both the policies we shape and the opportunities we help create for young people.

Foster Youth Voices on Capitol Hill

Nearly 1,000 foster youth voices have been heard on Capitol Hill through our annual Congressional Foster Youth Shadow Day experience, Congressional Briefings, and testimonies.
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Informing Federal Legislation

NFYI played an active role in shaping the historic Supporting America’s Children and Families Act, which passed in 2024. NFYI elevated the lived experiences of foster youth in conversations about the content of the bill, working with Members of Congress to inform their understanding of child welfare issues and the impact of this legislation on different communities around the country, and publicly supported the final version of the bill. By centering foster youth voices, we helped ensure that the legislation prioritized family preservation, support services, and meaningful reforms aimed at improving the lives of children and families nationwide.

Leadership Pipelines for Young Adults

In 2024/2025, six NFYI program participants were offered internships on Capitol Hill, two became advisors on a documentary about foster care, one became a Youth Commissioner for Los Angeles County, and a dozen had opportunities to speak on panels, at conferences, and with the media around the country.

Educating National Decisionmakers

“I want to recognize that it was the personal advocacy of so many foster youth that helped us enact key reforms to congregate care in the Families First Prevention Services Act. More work is absolutely necessary. But you should know that your community fought hard to enact those provisions and they would not be law today without your advocacy. [And] I want to recognize that it was foster youth whose advocacy helped to get $400 million to foster youth to help them make it through the pandemic.” – Rep. Danny K. Davis, IL-7

Engaging With Local Decisionmakers

In 2024, a dozen current and former foster youth in Los Angeles County participated in the inaugural Los Angeles Foster Youth Shadow Day, meeting with the Mayor, the entire LA County Board of Supervisors, most of the City Council, and over a dozen department heads. Weeks later, the Board of Supervisors introduced motions to increase housing and mental health resources for current and former foster youth, crediting NFYI’s Shadow Day participants with informing their recommendations.

Amplifying Foster Youth Voices:

NFYI provides platforms for our members to share their experiences and ideas to help the public and media understand how policies and legislation impact vulnerable children, families, and young adults. Their voices have been featured in national publications, books, films, on social media, and in their own projects. For their “Lost Days” campaign, members of NFYI’s Juvenile Justice Think Tank used their own photos and words to describe how much time foster youth lose in the juvenile justice system. The powerful project mobilized hundreds of community members and led to Federal-level proposals for changes to juvenile justice and recidivism efforts.