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Young people like yourselves have told us that when we, as adults, are working on the problems that you and your peers face, that your voices and opinions be taken into consideration. The operating principle should be, "Nothing about us without us." (Don't make any decisions about us without asking us what we think.) Here's your chance to work with your peers to create change -- telling adults what needs to be done and creating new opportunities for yourselves.
1. What would be the best way to involve other young people like you in finding ways to help improve what happens to youth after leaving care?
2. How can you play an important role in advocating (speaking out) for public policies that will help you become independent and healthy adults? What should those policies be?
3. What types of services and support do you need as a youth leaving foster care so that you can become independent? Consider services and programs that can help with education, employment, housing, and connections with caring adults.
Are the services you need available in your community?
If not, how can you work with other youth to raise awareness so that your community offers these programs and services?
4. Does your foster care agency or community offer independent living skills classes or assistance with basic life skills?
Are these services helpful?
Do they offer the information/training that youth aging out need?
If not, what can you do about it?
5. Good health is important so that youth aging out can go to school and work. Does your community offer health care or health insurance for youth who have aged out? What types of health services do you need?
6. What/how can you tell friends, family, neighbors, potential foster parents, child welfare staff, policymakers, and the media what is going on in your lives and what you need?
7. What are some ways that you, and others like you who have been in foster care, can do to make your voices heard in the community? To the media? To policymakers in city hall, the state capital, or Washington, D.C.?
What messages do you want to communicate to each of these groups?
How do you think they can help youth aging out of foster care enjoy successful lives?
8. Organize a youth board in your area. Many youth boards already are doing great things like holding sibling/alumni reunions, holding suitcase drives, and testifying before their local political representatives.
9. Build community awareness by creating a speakers' bureau or group. Identify key local issues related to aging out.
Create discussion questions based on the film AGING OUT that highlight these issues.
Visit schools, community organizations, and civic groups to screen/discuss the film.
Suggest ways these groups can assist youth leaving foster care and prepare them for independence and success.
10. Tell the media about the difficulties you face aging out of care, as well as the successes you have achieved. Stories about youth in the news often look at negative behavior. You can help change the tone of those stories by sharing good news with reporters.
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FOSTER CARE RESOURCES
AGING OUT on PBS.org
Read foster care stories and watch video clips from the film
Learn more about the film, filmmakers and funders
Explore extensive print and online foster care information for youth and
communities
Order the film
Download a viewer's guide or brief (PDF)
JIM CASEY YOUTH OPPORTUNITIES INITIATIVE
What you can do to help youth transitioning from care
Links to foster
care and youth development organizations
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