INDIANAPOLIS — Older foster youth will share their experiences in Indiana’s foster care system Tuesday to help lawmakers and the public understand the need for legislation to support older foster youth.
The statewide nonprofit Foster Success will host Foster Success Day at the Indiana Statehouse in Indianapolis from 8 a.m. to noon Tuesday in the third floor North Atrium.
Teens and young adults who have spent time in foster care will share their experiences with state lawmakers to educate them about older foster youth and the challenges they face.
Foster Success President and CEO Maggie Stevens also will discuss the organization’s legislative priorities to assist foster youth, particularly those transitioning from foster care. According to the organization’s website, fostersuccess.org, those priorities include:
- Increasing access to safe driving for Indiana’s older foster youth. This includes funding the Insuring Foster Youth Trust Fund created in 2022, and automatically qualifying individuals receiving services from the Department of Child Services for a State Auto Insurance Plan.
- Increasing private support for nonprofit child welfare organizations by expanding and extending the Foster Care Tax Credit program to donors of the Insuring Foster Youth Trust Fund.
- Ensuring foster youth voices are present in all decisions that impact their outcomes by providing high quality legal representation for older foster youth throughout all stages of their case, regardless of their placement or outcome.
- Ensuring educational, housing, mental health care and other basic needs are met for individuals transitioning out of the foster care system.
The Indianapolis-based organization supports Indiana teens and young adults in foster care and says its “mission is to hear, support and empower teens and young adults transitioning out of foster care and on their journey to self-sufficiency.”
