Congressional Leadership Academy & Shadow Day

NFYI's Congressional Leadership Academy is a 9-month program consisting of monthly skill-building training and workshops for former foster youth from across the country. The Academy prepares current and former foster youth to use their personal experiences to raise awareness of the challenges the child welfare system faces. The Academy includes NFYI’s signature event, Congressional Foster Youth Shadow Day Experience, which takes place each June in Washington, DC. The week-long immersive Shadow Day Experience allows for connection with Members of Congress, Congressional staffers and peers. Workshops focus on community organizing, the legislative process, child welfare policy and how to strategically share their knowledge of the system with their Member of Congress. Former foster youth gain a behind-the-scenes look at the legislative processes, and policymakers hear personal testimony and experiences of youth in the child welfare system.

Every law that shapes child welfare starts with a commitment to improve the lives of America’s children and ideas on how to get there. But too often, the ideas do not have input from those who are first-hand experts in how the system works (and doesn’t work) for children and families. NFYI’s Congressional Leadership Academy (CLA) ensures that the expertise of foster youth is not just heard, but is centered in shaping national child welfare policy.
CLA connects young leaders from across the country with Members of Congress to bridge the gap between lived experience and legislation. During this nine-month program, a group of current and former foster youth between 18 and 30 gain the tools to transform personal challenges into lasting change — both for themselves and for future generations.
A key component of CLA is the Congressional Foster Youth Shadow Day experience, held each summer in Washington, DC. This week-long immersive experience connects foster youth with Members of Congress, Congressional staffers, policy experts, and peers, providing behind-the-scenes insight into the legislative process while offering policymakers critical perspectives on the realities of child welfare.
CLA is more than a leadership program for youth and Shadow Day is more than a moment of inspiration for Congress — they are cornerstones of a movement that spans the grassroots and the grasstops. CLA participants leave with new skills, stronger networks, and the confidence to create change in their communities and beyond. And with each connection made, they’re not only influencing policy — they’re proving that lived experience is a powerful force in shaping a better future for all.
2025 Congressional Leadership Academy

A Transformative Experience

Since 2012, NFYI has brought nearly 1,000 current/former foster youth to DC. Each year, CLA participants spend a week in the nation’s capital, gaining a firsthand understanding of how federal policies are made and how their voices can shape legislation. Through intensive workshops, hands-on training, and policy deep-dives, they build the confidence, leadership, and professional development skills to turn their lived experiences into meaningful change. The week culminates in Shadow Day, where delegates meet one-on-one with Members of Congress, sharing their personal stories and offering crucial insights into the realities of foster care. These conversations don’t just inspire lawmakers — they directly influence policy.

Real-World Impact

The relationships and experiences forged during the nine-months of the CLA extend far beyond the program:

Career Opportunities – Some delegates have secured Congressional internships or full-time jobs in Washington, D.C., launching careers in policy, advocacy, and government.

Legislative Wins – Members of Congress, informed by CLA delegates, have introduced bills such as:

  • Supporting Families Through the Pandemic Act
  • Legislation to make housing more affordable for foster youth in college
  • A bill to close a Medicaid loophole affecting young adults exiting foster care

Community Mobilization – CLA participants return home equipped with new networks and knowledge, inspiring civic engagement and mobilizing their communities around key child welfare issues.

Attention on Issues That Matter – This event draws local and national attention to foster care issues. Watch a Member of Congress and a foster youth shadow speak about their experience on MSNBC.

Skills Development – NFYI staff, consultants, and volunteers provide youth participants with new skills, including:

  • Strategic storytelling
  • Policy design
  • Resume writing
  • Public speaking & media training
  • Trauma-informed coping and stress management skills

By investing in foster youth leaders, CLA is driving systemic change — ensuring that those with lived experience aren’t just part of the conversation, but leading it.

NFYI Vector
NFYI Vector
My Shadow Day experience in 2020 was surreal… I brought my story to Congress, the media, and my community by engaging in virtual town halls, posing questions to our representatives, and organizing events and discussions of my own. This experience allowed me to gain confidence as a speaker, writer, and organizer. Knowing my efforts were going to better the conditions of my fellow foster youth was the most fulfilling aspect of the experience. We were all pleased that our efforts that year paid off when our key policy priorities were passed as part of the Supporting Foster Youth and Families Through the Pandemic Act, signed into law in December 2020.
NFYI Vector
-Japheth Ebanks Kariuki

Join Us in Shaping the Future of Foster Care

Are You a Foster Youth Leader Ready to Make an Impact?

If you’re a current or former foster youth (ages 18-30) passionate about creating change, the Congressional Leadership Academy is your chance to gain leadership skills, connect with policymakers, and help shape the future of child welfare policy. Applications open in the late fall — don’t miss your opportunity! Sign up here to receive regular updates.

Are You Ready to Invest in the Next Generation of Changemakers?

The Congressional Leadership Academy is creating lasting systemic and individual impact, training young leaders, influencing legislation, and building a better child welfare system. This program covers all expenses for every delegate, no matter where they’re from and sponsors make it possible for NFYI to bring 30-100 delegates from across the nation together for a powerful, life-changing experience. If you’d like to sponsor the CLA, a delegate’s participation, or donate care package items, professional clothing, drinks, snacks, or other items, please reach out to our Director of Development, Hamid Jahangard.

Apply for Shadow Day:

This program is open to anyone between the ages of 18 and 30 who has experience in foster care and is eager to take an active role in transforming the child welfare system.
Applications for this year’s cohort are now open, and the deadline to apply is December 16th!
Apply now
In addition to shadowing a member of Congress, activities include skills-building trainings, a town hall meeting with Congressional leadership, networking, hearing from inspiring speakers, community-building opportunities, outings around D.C., an awards gala, and more. This week is a lot of hard work and a lot of fun! All lodging, travel, and food expenses are covered.
Read about one delegate’s Shadow Day experience

Take Action:

Current/Former Foster Youth: Apply to Attend
Members of Congress: Host a Youth
Donors: Sponsor a Delegate
NFYI Delegates share their personal stories and experiences
Play Video

In a video shared with Congress, members discuss how COVID-19 impacted their lives

Delegates share their personal stories and experiences in the child welfare system with Congressmembers and remind them of the real-world impact their work has on children in foster care.

Host a Foster Youth:

When CLA participants step into the heart of democracy, it is imperative they walk the halls of Congress alongside their representatives and their staffers. For Members of Congress, hosting a delegate is more than just an opportunity to share their work—it’s a chance to see the world through the eyes of those their legislative decisions impact. With their extensive training delegates dive into the fast-paced world of Capitol Hill with ease. They sit in on meetings and briefings, tour the House floor or congressional offices, and connect with legislative aides. To end off the shadow experience, participants, staff, and surprise guests share a luncheon celebration together. If your office would like to host a delegate at the next Shadow Day, please reach out to contact@nfyi.org.

Members of congress

NFYI Host a foster youth

It’s important to NFYI that no young person be held back from life changing opportunities. That’s why we cover all expenses for every delegate, no matter where they’re from. But we don’t do it alone, sponsors make it possible for NFYI to bring 30-100 delegates from across the nation together for a powerful, transformative experience.

Whether you sponsor a delegate’s participation or donate care package items, professional clothing, drinks, snacks, or other items – you can help contribute to an impactful experience for these young leaders

To sponsor or donate, please reach out to NFYI CEO Rebecca Louve Yao at rebecca@nfyi.org

Outcomes from previous Shadow Day Programs include:

  • National attention on foster care issues.
  • Lasting connections are made between Members of Congress, staffers, and delegates.
  • Internship and professional development opportunities have been secured by delegates.
  • Legislation has been inspired by and informed by experiences shared by delegates.
  • Delegates develop and apply new leadership skills. As a result a group of previous participants return to DC Shadow Day to serve as group leaders and workshop facilitators for that years new class of delegates.
NFYI Vector

Shadow Day has proven to be a truly enriching experience.

Shadow Day participants are outstanding examples of inner strength, and it is our strong belief that everyone’s worldview would be improved by spending time with foster youth. These individuals exemplify the American values of perseverance and resilience. For members of Congress, having these courageous foster youth joining us as our ‘shadows’ gives us a better perspective and serves as a reminder of the many issues they face.

Reps. Paul Mitchell & Jim Langevin

Ready to take the next step?

NFYI Shape

Apply to
Attend

Host a Delegate or Former Foster Youth

Sponsor a Delegate to Participate

Help Support Shadow Day

NFYI's Annual, week-long Congressional Foster Youth Shadow Day experience is right around the corner! Visit the Shadow Day 2022 page to learn more about our unique program, this year's delegates, and how you can get involved.