Across the country, there are nearly 438,000 children and youth in foster care. Approximately 25,000 of these young people age out of care each year – frequently entering adulthood without a stable support system.
iFoster, a national nonprofit with the largest community serving the child welfare space, is committed to ensuring that the voices of foster youth, parents, kinship caregivers and child welfare professionals are heard and elevated at the national level.
Recently, iFoster engaged its vast network—over 100,000 members—asking them what members of Congress should know as they determine budgetary and legislative priorities. What emerged is a powerful collective message on the importance of supportive services for foster youth and their families.
The Impact of Supportive Services: In Their Own Words
From this engagement, iFoster compiled the voices of their members into one powerful video. Here are some of the highlights:
“What we need is to know we’re not forgotten,” shares one foster parent. “Supportive services are lifelines—not just for the youth, but for the whole family.”
A foster youth reflects, “When I aged out, it felt like the world was closing in. Access to programs that helped with housing and jobs made the difference between feeling lost and having hope.”
“Being a kinship caregiver means carrying extra responsibilities,” another participant explains. “It’s the wraparound services—help with school, mental health support, even just having someone to call—that keep families together.”
“Supporting foster youth isn’t a one-time act; it’s a journey,” says a child welfare worker. “Stable, ongoing support gives our youth a fighting chance.”
Their collective concerns reveal that, as policy decisions are made, they fear being overlooked. Their stories reveal that successful outcomes for foster youth and their families rely on accessible, consistent and personalized support.
A Platform for Real-World Experience
Rooted in lived experience, iFoster’s advocacy efforts are driven by direct input from those most affected by the child welfare system. It is essential that we uplift such voices and organizations—those who not only serve as advocates, but as architects of more responsive and resilient support systems.
iFoster provides tangible resources, educational and employment opportunities, and a stable support system for young people in foster care and those who care for them. By working alongside partners like iFoster, advocates can create opportunities for foster youth and families to thrive.