Ohio foster care youth and alumni have been traveling regularly to DC since 2013, with an eye towards improving foster care outcomes throughout the nation. We are deeply grateful  to Ruth Ann White of the National Center for Housing and Child Welfare for her tireless support.

Our federal advocacy work focuses on:

Our 2021 efforts included:

• January 27, 2021: FSHO Press Conference with Representative Turner, as captured by Dayton.com and WDTN.
• February 4, 2021: Letter to HUD Secretary Marsha Fudge regarding FSHO implementation.
• February 11, 2021: Letter to the Children’s Bureau to urge them to expedite Chafee funds to states for emergency pandemic relief for former foster youth up until age 27.
• February 16, 2021: Participating in a joint letter to the Children’s Bureau  about the Chafee supplemental, with other state and national organizations
• independent living workers in the midst of a pandemic
• Feb. 23, 2021: Contributing to an Imprint article regarding pandemic relief funds for “aged out ” foster youth
• February 24, 2021: Proactively sharing an Op Ed written by Chris Patterson about the role of independent living workers in the midst of a pandemic

Our 2020 efforts in response to the international pandemic included:

• FSHO Senate Push: This advocacy effort succeeded; the Fostering Stable Housing Opportunities Act is now federal law.
• March 12, 2020: Correspondence with Dr. Jerry Milner, Associate Commissioner of the Children’s Bureau, about what child welfare can do to support college students with a foster care history who are struggling due to the coronavirus.
• March 20, 2020: Writing federal legislators to propose three recommendations for inclusion  in COVID-19 Relief Bill III
• March 31, 2020: Writing an open letter to the Children’s Bureau
• April 10, 2020: Writing the Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth to share five Chafee-related recommendations
• April 15, 2020: Partnering with others to propose six recommendations to the Administration for Children and Families
• April 15, 2020: Writing federal legislators to propose five recommendations for inclusion in the CARES II Act
• July 2, 2020: Writing a letter of support and participating in the press release for the Child Welfare Emergency Assistance Act.

All for the purpose of: Improving immediate circumstances and long-term outcomes for foster care youth and alumni.