JUNE 29, 2009 – SEATTLE 30 youth and alumni of foster care from across Washington State had the opportunity yesterday to educate and encourage child welfare leaders to focus on several priorities in the coming year, including:
- Providing legal representation to foster youth in dependency court hearings
- Making mandatory health and safety visits unscheduled
- Enabling youth to have more say in foster care placements
- Ensuring foster care cases are transferred when a youth is moved to a different region of the state
Susan Dreyfus, the new Department of Social and Health Services Secretary, attended the event and sits on the Commission (WA State Commission on Children in Foster Care). Dreyfus explained to the 30 youth and young adult participants that DSHS has an obligation and aspires to work with youth to provide foster care services.
During a presentation to the Commission on Legal Representation, Mockingbird Network Representative Ian Grant asked the Commission, “How many of you have children?” The majority raised their hands. He then asked, “How many of you would send your child into a court room without an attorney?” Not one of the Commission members raised their hand. The presentations prepared by the youth and young adults attending the Summit provide the commission with a first-hand understanding of the child welfare system through personal testimonies, facts and recommendations. Justice Bobbe J. Bridge (Ret.), co-chair of the Commission, explained that attending the summit is the most informative and motivational meeting the commission has of the year. Not only are the participants discussing issues that affect their lives, but are representing the issues for all youth in foster care across the state.
The youth and alumni of foster care that participated in the Leadership Summit have been involved in one of The Mockingbird Network’s six regional chapters for the past 3-6 months and have helped to identify opportunities and participate in activities that strengthen the support for youth in foster care in their local communities.
Many also had the opportunity to attend Youth Advocacy Day in February where over 200 youth, alumni and foster care service providers joined community members at the State Capitol to advocate for safe housing, sibling visits, and the notification of rights for youth in foster care – all priorities that were first discussed during last year’s Foster Youth and Alumni Leadership Summit.
Delegates from each chapter and summit participants plan to meet again in August as part of The Mockingbird Network’s State Advisory Council to discuss the recommendations provided by each region at the Summit and determine 2010 legislative priorities.
The Foster Youth and Alumni Leadership Summit, held this last weekend, is an annual event organized by The Mockingbird Society and community partners: Casey Family Programs, Children’s Administration, and the Center for Children & Youth Justice.
For more information about the Foster Youth and Alumni Leadership Summit, visit our website at: http://content.mockingbirdsociety.org/the-mockingbird-network/leadership-summit/.