Youth Voice Matters!

The Youth Engagement Team is a collaboration of current and former foster youth, the Department of Family Services, the Guardian Ad Litem Program, the Wyoming Citizen Review Panel and  Wyoming Independent Living Programs that have assembled to discuss and promote engaging youth voices in order to address issues they face while in foster care. The goal of this collaboration is to establish and promote  an environment of authentic youth engagement within our child welfare system in Wyoming. Youth engagement spans our entire child welfare system, from the safety and case planning on an individual case basis to advocating for youth voice in our systemic reviews and policy changes. 

As an introduction to this collaboration and efforts Laura Dobler will share the goals and future activities that have been developed within the Youth Engagement Team and provide insight into ways that we all can better engage  youth at every level within child welfare. To better demonstrate what this collaboration will look like, two former youth will discuss their experiences within the child welfare system in a pre-recorded interview session. The youth will be available for any additional questions following the recording.   

Brain DeTavernier will also provide a briefing over the Independent Living program, which will highlight the program and how it assists current and former foster youth through support and services as well as giving them a voice in their future independence.