PORTLAND, ORE. Current and former foster youth from across Oregon presented policy recommendations today to an audience of lawmakers, Oregon Department of Human Services administrators, service providers, and community members. The policies, developed by youth themselves, expose systemic issues in the foster care system and include: improving training for foster families and caseworkers on conflict-resolution and LGBTQ+ youth; increasing youth engagement around new placement and permanency planning; and incorporating best practice models for youth transitioning out of care, suicide prevention, foster home inspections and maintenance of sibling connections.
Thirty-one youth identified these priorities during the 2016 Oregon Foster Youth Connection Policy Conference, which took place at Willamette University in Salem, July 16 – 19, 2016.
Through its youth-led model of civic engagement and leadership development, the Oregon Foster Youth Connection (OFYC) empowers youth to identify pressing issues within the foster care system, determine concrete solutions, and educate policymakers to advocate for change. Since 2009, OFYC’s Policy Conference has been an effective vehicle for ensuring that foster youth are meaningfully involved in the improvement of the foster care system.
“The voice of youth is essential when any changes to the foster care system are considered. No perspective is more important because foster youth are directly affected by changes and have lived the experiences policymakers seek to address,” said Lisa McMahon, OFYC Program Director. “Youth who participated in the conference are not only empowered to advocate for themselves during the complex legislative process, but also throughout their lives,” McMahon added.
The 2016 OFYC Policy Conference themes included improving the quality and availability of foster homes and providers; supporting youth in care who are 18-21; and improving the safety of youth while in foster care. During the four-day training, youth learned to speak up for change through activities focused on teamwork, critical thinking, and public speaking. Daily workshops taught youth how to use their experiences to influence public policy and create legislative priorities to improve the lives of all children in Oregon’s foster care system.
Dru Taft, a current foster youth from Bend reflected on the conference and said, “The workshop ‘Siblings and Long-term Relationships’ helped me learn that more people like me are dealing with the same thing. And I was kind of touched by the subject because I was separated from my younger brother and that was really hard for me. Figuring out a solution for that felt good because if we can enforce a law, then we can get other siblings back together, even though I might not go back to my brother – and they won’t have to feel my pain, and the pain others have felt, from moving away from our siblings.”
The OFYC Policy Conference takes place biannually in advance of longer legislative sessions. OFYC youth have had legislative wins within each of the past four longer sessions. Because of OFYC, foster youth in Oregon now have: Assistance Obtaining Driving Privileges (2009); A Tuition Waiver for former foster youth entering community college or state university (2011); A Foster Child Bill of Rights & Foster Child's Ombudsman (2013); and access to savings accounts at the age of 12 (2015).
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Oregon Foster Youth Connection (OFYC), a program of Children First for Oregon, is a statewide, youth-led, advocacy group of current and former foster youth between 14 & 25 years of age. Members of OFYC shape how the organization is structured, which policies to focus on, and what activities to participate in. OFYC’s mission is to improve the foster care system through advocacy, activism, and leadership. For more information, visit
http://www.oryouthconnection.org/.
Specific Policy Recommendations:
- Conflict resolution and collaborative problem-solving training for foster parents and caseworkers;
- Mandatory meeting among all involved with the case (i.e. caseworker, attorney, foster family and youth) within first five days of intake;
- Utilizing S.A.F.E. model (comprehensive screening for families and home studies) for foster family background checks and initial screening process;
- Mandatory physical checklist during home visits to ensure youth in care are safe and comfortable in the house;
- Suicide prevention programs available for LGBTQ+ youth;
- Resources and training provided to educate foster parents on LGBTQ+ youth;
- Program and training for caseworkers to focus on youth transitioning out of care;
- Meaningful youth engagement in permanency planning; and
- Sibling Bill of Rights to ensure sibling contact and communications.
