Over 40 current and former foster youth will meet with congressional members tomorrow as part of an annual Shadow Day. Sponsored by the Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth, the Shadow Day brings youth from across the country to the nation’s capitol to meet congressional representatives and help them better understand the foster care system.
“I believe that the best decisions and the best legislation is made when we actually talk to the people who are most affected by the system,” said Congresswoman Karen Bass (D-Calif), co-founder of the Caucus. Casey Family Programs, Foster Club, and Foster Youth Alumni of America will also participate in the Shadow Day.
The event will begin with a visit to the office of the congressional member each youth has been assigned. The majority of the youth have been paired with the representative of either their district or state. Together, they will talk about the experience of foster care, and propose possible solutions to improve the system.
A live stream of the congressional luncheon will be available on the Caucus website Tuesday at 12:45 pm eastern time. Then the youth will head to the White House, where they will meet with top administration leaders and recommend system improvements based on their stories.
Shadow Day is one of the three main missions of the Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth. The Caucus introduces policy to improve the foster care system based on youth and child welfare leaders’ recommendations, and has embarked on a national listening tour to hear from youth across the country about their foster care experience.
Fostering Media Connections, the parent company of the Chronicle, produced a video about the accomplishments of the Caucus since its formation last year.