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Spotlight on: Amplifying Youth Voice
California Youth Connection
The Challenge
By its very nature the foster care system is disempowering to children and youth. They have little or no say in the decisions that impact their lives. Often the only way youth can gain control is through rebellion, which can have disastrous effects when there is no family to support and guide them.
What They Do
California Youth Connection (CYC) promotes the participation of foster youth in policy development and legislative change to improve the foster care system, social work practice, and child welfare policy. Youth participate in county-based chapters to identify local issues and use grassroots and community organizing to create change. The chapters work together to develop a statewide agenda. Adults play a back seat role in this youth-led organization. CYC has successfully honed their model of youth engagement and leadership to embody youth development principles and run programs that are both youth initiated and directed.
Results to Date
- Every year, CYC serves more than 500 foster youth members, ages 14-24, in 32 county-based chapters throughout the state.
- The CYC Board of Directors membership includes 50% foster youth.
- CYC has sponsored and supported a multitude of legislation since its inception, including the bill that created the California Foster Care Ombudsman in 1998 and more recently AB1412 in 2005, which recognizes the need for permanency for older youth and their right to be involved in planning efforts.
- Former CYC members are now in leadership positions across the state including the staff attorney at the Youth Law Center and the interim Executive Director at CYC.
- Successful local projects include Alameda County's Youth Led Evaluation Project, which produced "Final Report: Are Group Homes Picture Perfect?" in 2006.
Click on the video below to view a Fostering Media Connections story highlighting the work of California Youth Connection: A Youth Driven Movement Grows in California
Crippling cuts to California’s foster care system have been the catalyst for a broad-based movement. Largely driven by the foster youth advocacy group California Youth Connection (CYC), a coalition of advocates, unions, politicians and service providers has turned the push to restore $80 million in State cuts and $53.5 million in lost federal funds into the beach head for a greater battle to continue reform that would vastly improve outcomes for foster youth.
The objectives: 1) restore the $133.5 million and 2) see Assembly Bill 12, which would extend care to 21 as proscribed in the federal Fostering Connections law, passed through the State Senate and signed by the Governor. As you will see in this video, the weight of the coordinated youth voice is undeniable.