A behind-the-scenes playbook to guide foster care advocacy on Capitol Hill
introduction:
You've seen lawmakers clash at high-stakes congressional hearings. You've watched presidents sign bills into law with flashy press conferences and herds of reporters. Perhaps you’ve stumbled upon live coverage of the Senate or House chambers and wondered why your senator was delivering a speech to an empty room on C-SPAN (the television network devoted to wall-to-wall coverage of all things Washington, D.C. … more on that later). Behind these seemingly made-for-TV moments are opportunities to create very real change.
At Journey to Success (JTS), we’re advocating for federal policy changes that lead to better outcomes for all youth and young adults who experience foster care.
The 118th Congress kicked off in January 2023.
The start of a new Congress is an exciting time and brings new opportunities to educate, engage, and motivate federal lawmakers to take action to support foster youth.
Informed by more than 20 years of youth-driven advocacy, data insights, and the lived experiences of those in foster care, the Journey to Success policy goals focus on six key areas. Our playbook provides more detail — but, in short, our campaign seeks to improve outcomes for youth who experience foster care by securing federal policies that:
Prioritize health, healing, and well-being
Nurture family ties and family permanence
Retool foster care to better serve adolescents and young adults
Increase accountability, foster fairness, and focus on results
Ensure youth are plugged in to supportive services, including in health, education, and housing
Promote economic security
Our work is underway at JTS HQ to create partnerships with advocates nationwide, coming together to build upon past legislative gains and advance these priorities.
To support our partners like you, we are excited to bring you the first-ever Journey to Success Federal Advocacy Insider's Guide.
Our goal is to demystify the federal legislative process so you can be empowered with insider knowledge about the legislative process and be confident that you’re engaging the right lawmakers with the right message at the right time.
We hope the guide helps advocates…
Understand the nuts and bolts of the federal legislative process.
Learn about ways to join Journey to Success in advocating for change.
Share your story, insights, and ideas with key congressional committees overseeing foster care policy.
Contact your congressional delegation ahead of a consequential vote.
Organize conversations locally with stakeholders and decision-makers. We’ll share examples of advocates who’ve planned foster youth advocacy days at their state capitol and hosted briefings for members of Congress. And the JTS team can help with that!
Here's a preview of what’s to come as part of the JTS advocacy Insider’s Guide — your crash course on the inner workings of Capitol Hill:
Part 1:
Part 2:
Part 3:
Part 4:
Case Studies on How Bills REALLY Become Laws / Fostering Connections, Family First
Part 5:
The Regulatory Process / Flying Under the Radar
The Advocacy Insider’s Guide is a project of Journey to Success created by lead author Becky Shipp. Thanks to Hope Cooper, Margaret Martin, Emily Gardner, and Meridith Paulhus for their contributions.