September 2026 Meeting with DCY Leadership

Link to PPT. 

Three Days on the Hill

Administration for Children and Families:
We met with Ryan Hanlon, Associate Commissioner of the Children's Bureau, to talk about Broken Adoptions, Life Skills and Safeguarding Youth From Abuse, including when it comes to national implementation of the Home for Every Child Act. We deeply appreciate his willingness to connect with one of our group members via FaceTime, since entry into ACF requires a Real ID. 

HUD: 
Our meeting was initially with four staff members, but we ended up connecting with twelve. This exemplifies HUD's commitment to our population. They value and remember the role of Ohio foster care youth and alumni in designing FYI vouchers. We spoke with HUD Leadership, including Assistant Secretary Ben Hobbs,to share ideas to support FYI voucher access and including the voices of those with lived experience as trainers regarding this provision. 

During the meeting, Alexys shared an idea which is being elevated to the First Lady. More on that to come...

Legislative Visits:
During our time in DC, we met with the offices of :

• Congressman Max Miller
• Congressman David Joyce
• Congressman Mike Turner
• Congressman Mike Carey
• Congressman Greg Landsman
• Senator Jon Husted

Our legislative visits focused on recommendations related to ETV and Chafee. The only exception was when we met with FSHO champion Congressman Mike Turner and shared our BROE proposal. We deeply appreciated the personal connection that Senator Jon Husted made, by inviting each participating young person to share their goals and accomplishments. 

We were unable to meet with Senator Bernie Moreno or Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur, but stopped by both of their offices to deliver materials. 

Here are links to additional photos from our:

• 2026 meeting with ACF
• 2026 meeting with HUD
• Legislative Visits
• DC: Day One
  
• DC: Day Two 
• Journeys and Preparation

During our visits, it always makes our hearts happyto connect with foster care alumni who now work in DC. Such was the case during this trip, when our paths crossed with Tashia Roberson-Wing, Senior Legislative Assistant of Congressman Greg Landsman's office. 

DC taglines: 

• Lived It. Leading It. Ohio foster youth aren't just voices to be heard, they are partners whose lived experience can inform stronger systems and resources, better policy provisions, and better outcomes for the young generation who come after them. 

• Putting a Face On the Population They Serve: We made an impact; they now know who we are and we put a face to the population they serve. We are more than just numbers - we are a united voice who get together to make change. 

Raven's article for Table Sense

On Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026, OHIO YAB Youth Ambassador Raven Grice's article was published in a Table Sense publication. 

Housing: How it’s All Connected

Transitioning from foster care to adulthood is a significant period of change for young people ages 17-21. Transitioning out can be scary, frustrating, and bring up many different emotions and traumas for young adults. Youth aging out of foster care are expected to take on adult responsibilities while simultaneously navigating education, employment, finances, relationships, healthcare, and housing. Although these areas are sometimes taught as separate independent living skills, they are connected. Successful adulthood is not simply about being able to live independently without assistance. It is also about knowing how to use relationships, community resources, mentors, and support systems to create stability. This concept can be described as interdependent living.

Interdependent living demonstrates how housing can serve as the center that connects the key areas of a youth's life. The model places housing at the core of interdependence and surrounds it with relationships, planning, mentoring, education, workforce development, health, vital records, food security, budgeting, and assessments. These areas represent the skills and supports that help a young person obtain housing, maintain housing, and build a stable life after foster care.

For youth aging out of foster care, housing is more than having a physical place to sleep. Stable housing provides a foundation from which young people can pursue education, employment, relationships, health care, financial stability, and long-term goals. At the same time, these other areas directly affect whether a young person can successfully maintain housing. Therefore, independent living skills and interdependent living are connected through housing.

Independent Living Skills and the Transition to Adulthood

Independent living skills are the practical abilities young people need to manage the responsibilities of adulthood. These skills may include budgeting, cooking, cleaning, personal hygiene, transportation, employment, communication, decision-making, and obtaining important documents. For housing, this means understanding a lease, reviewing it with a caseworker, knowing what questions to ask a landlord, scheduling tours, and identifying key lease portions. For youth in foster care, independent living preparation is particularly important because many young people may have fewer opportunities to practice these skills within a consistent family environment. However, knowing how to perform a skill does not always translate to being able to apply it effectively in real-life situations or navigate the challenges that come with it.

This is where interdependent living becomes important: successful adulthood is not about doing everything alone but knowing when and where to ask for help. For youth transitioning out of care, this also means recognizing that they have agency in deciding who they include in their lives and consider chosen family.

Housing as the Center of Interdependent Living

Housing is at the center of successful independent living for foster youth aging out of care, providing the stability needed to maintain employment, pursue education, manage health, and build positive relationships. A safe, consistent home also gives youth who have experienced out-of-home care the opportunity to develop essential life skills. For former foster youth, stable housing can be especially important in avoiding the stress and retraumatization that can come with housing instability. Ultimately, housing is both a foundation for independence and a key part of helping young adults build the skills and stability they need to thrive.

Relationships and Supportive Connections

Strong relationships are an essential part of stable housing, especially for youth aging out of foster care. Supportive connections can provide the guidance and encouragement young adults need as they navigate housing and other responsibilities of independence. Youth who have experienced out-of-home care need a supportive safety net more than peers their age. 

Assessments and Individualized Skill Development

Assessments such as life skills assessments help identify a young person’s strengths, needs, and areas where additional support may be needed. By avoiding assumptions and recognizing that every youth is unique, assessments can help professionals create individualized goals and focus support where it will have the greatest impact. 

Budgeting and Financial Stability

Budgeting is important for housing stability because young adults must manage more than just rent, including utilities, food, transportation, and more. Learning financial skills such as saving, tracking spending, prioritizing needs, and preparing for unexpected expenses can help reduce the risk of housing instability. Youth may also need support accessing benefits, housing programs, and other resources that can strengthen their financial stability.

Food Security

Housing stability also depends on having consistent access to food. Youth who have experienced out-of-home care suffer more trauma than their peers from not having their needs met, and thus need more support developing skills like meal planning, grocery shopping, cooking, and budgeting, while also learning how to access community resources when needed. Seeking assistance through food pantries and other programs is an important part of independence.

Vital Records and Documentation

Access to important documents, such as identification cards, birth certificates, and Social Security records, is essential for securing housing, employment, education, and other services. Youth aging out of foster care may not always have access to these documents and may need support obtaining, replacing, and maintaining them. 

Education and Workforce Development

Employment and education are connected to long-term housing stability. Reliable income helps young people obtain and maintain housing, while workforce development can build job skills, support career planning, and connect youth to employment opportunities. Education, vocational training, and certifications can increase earning potential and provide temporary housing options such as dorms. Housing, education, and employment form a cycle: stable housing supports success in school and work, while education and employment create greater opportunities to secure and maintain stable housing.

Health and Wellness

Health is another critical component of housing. Physical and mental health can directly affect a young person's ability to maintain employment, attend school, manage finances, and care for a household. Youth aging out of foster care may need to learn how to schedule appointments, communicate with health-care providers, understand medications or health instructions, and identify community health resources. Mental and emotional wellness is equally important because stress associated with housing, finances, employment, and relationships can affect overall functioning.

Interdependent living encourages young people to recognize when they need assistance and identify appropriate sources of support. This may include health professionals, counselors, mentors, trusted adults, or community organizations.

Mentoring and Skill Transfer

Mentors help youth apply independent living skills in everyday situations by offering guidance, problem-solving support, and encouragement. For young people aging out of foster care, consistent mentors can provide stability while helping them navigate housing, budgeting, and other adult responsibilities. 

The Connection Between Independent and Interdependent Living

Independent and interdependent living should not be viewed as opposites. Independent living means having the skills and confidence to manage one's life. Interdependent living recognizes that successful adults also rely on relationships, systems, resources, and communities.

For example, consider a young person who is preparing to move into their first apartment. Independent living skills might include knowing how to:

• Create and follow a budget
• Prepare meals
• Clean and maintain the apartment
• Pay bills
• Communicate with a landlord
• Use public transportation
• Maintain employment
• Schedule appointments
• Keep important documents organized

Interdependent living adds another layer. The young person also needs to know:

• Who they can call when they have a problem
• Where to find housing assistance
• How to access food resources
• How to locate employment services
• Where to obtain replacement documents
• How to identify community health resources
• How to maintain healthy relationships
• When to ask for help
• How to advocate for themselves

Together, these skills create a stronger foundation for adulthood.

Life skills assessments and emancipation or transition plans can also be used together to identify areas of strength and areas where additional practice is needed. The goal should not simply be to prepare youth to leave foster care. The goal should be to prepare them to remain stable after leaving foster care.

Conclusion

Interdependent living demonstrates that housing is not an isolated need for youth aging out of foster care, but part of a larger system of relationships, resources, education, employment, health, and support. While independent living skills help young people navigate adulthood, interdependent living recognizes that everyone relies on relationships, communities, mentors, and resources. Preparing youth for adulthood should not mean expecting them to do everything alone, but rather helping them build the skills, confidence, connections, and support networks needed to create and sustain a stable life. 

2026 DCY KIDS Summit

Link to more photos.

On Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026, the DCY KIDS Summit took place. OHIO YAB Youth Ambassadors Alexys and Dalen did a wonderful job representing youth throughout Ohio. They were able to meet the Governor, discuss important issues with Ohio legislators, and take photos with Maurice Clarett and Lieutenant Governor Jim Tressel.

Alexys wrote what it meant to her to be a part of this opportunity:

It was an absolute honor to be in the presence of and engage in meaningful conversations with Governor Mike DeWine, Lt. Governor Jim Tressel, Ohio Department of Children and Youth Director Kara Wente, Assistant Director John Van Dusen, Maurice Clarett, State Representative Tom Young, Crystal Lett, Phil Plummer for State Senate, their incredible staff, and leaders representing disability services in Ohio.

Advocacy is more than something I am passionate about—it is part of my purpose. I believe true change begins when we are willing to turn pain into purpose, purpose into passion, and passion into action. Heart is the foundation, but meaningful reform also requires strategy, research, accountability, and the courage to have uncomfortable conversations.

Our world is constantly evolving, and the systems serving foster youth must be willing to evolve with it. We cannot be afraid to challenge what is familiar, introduce new ideas, identify gaps, and work together to implement solutions that create stronger outcomes and brighter futures.

Meeting Maurice and Lt. Governor Tressel reminded me that true success isn't simply about what we accomplish; it is about what we choose to do with the life, influence, testimony, and opportunities we have been given:

• To turn pain into purpose.
• To turn adversity into advocacy.
• To turn experience into wisdom.
• And then to reach back and make the road a little easier for the person coming behind us.

That is impact. These conversations were intentional, researched, heartfelt, and centered on what matters most: the future of our youth and the people who step up to raise, support, mentor, and advocate for them.

We discussed education, transportation, housing, funding, resource development, disability services, and something I will always fight to keep at the table. I believe we are called to leave people, communities, and this world better than we found them. To have the uncomfortable conversations. To stand for people whose voices have been overlooked. To lead with compassion. To never become so successful that we forget the people who are still fighting their way forward. I want to continue learning, contributing, asking difficult questions, building meaningful relationships, and helping create solutions that are both compassionate and strategic.

The sky is the limit when we stop allowing our past to define the boundaries of our future. May we never measure our lives solely by how far we rise, but by how many people we help rise with us.

My sincerest thank you to Lisa Dickson, Deric Cobb, and Jamole Callahan for always providing me the support, lessons/advice, encouragement, strength and opportunities to be a statewide voice for Ohio.  

Suits Sorting with the Franklin County YAB

On Saturday, August 29, 2026, members of the Franklin County Youth Advisory Board assisted in sorting Suits for Success, in preparation for the 2027 Leadership and Life Skills Summit.

OHIO YAB Representation on Legislative Study Committtee

On Monday, August 24, 2206, the first meeting of the Study Committee to Evaluate the Placement of Delinquent Children in Residential Facilities was held. The OHIO YAB is a member of this committee, and our joint representatives are Addison Torrence and Caidyn Bearfield.  The next meeting is scheduled to take place on Monday, Sept. 21, 2026. 

The charge of the committee is as follows:

The Committee shall do all of the following regarding children who are alleged to be or have been adjudicated delinquent and are in the custody of a public children services agency or private child placing agency:

1. Evaluate the placement of such children in residential facilities;
2. Evaluate the existing system, resources, and services used to support such children;
3. Identify gaps in the availability of appropriate residential facilities, resources, and services to serve such children; and
4. Make recommendations for changes to meet the needs of such children.

 During the meeting, Director Kara Wente of DCY shared this overview: 

And this chart:

Along with these definitions:

• Group Home for children: A certified, staffed facility that provides round-the-clock care for a small group of children (up to 10) who aren't related to the caregivers. A more home-scale setting.
• Children’s Residential Center (CRC): The same kind of certified, staffed, round-the-clock facility, but larger, serving 11 or more children. A more institutional-scale setting.
• Detention Facility: Facility established under Section 2152.41 of the Revised Code for the care and temporary confinement of children under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court who are alleged to be delinquent or whose cases are pending.

And the current number of DCY certified facilities: (this does not include the DBH ones)

A recent survey was conducted in March 2025, and there were 1,031 respondents statewide. It focused on three areas: 

Facility Operations: How the facility runs day to day: staffing, condition, and effectiveness.  

Operational challenges centered on (a.) staff turnover, (b.) staffing levels/scheduling, (c.) communication between shifts 

 98% of supervisors said it was difficult to find high quality staff.  

 From a training standpoint, over 20% of survey participants listed "navigating disabilities" as their most difficult duty. 

The Children in Care: Whether children feel safe and the challenges they face in placement.

Staff and Oversight: Confidence, capacity, and the barriers to finding and keeping quality staff.

98% of supervisors said it was difficult to find high quality staff.  

Barriers to recruitment had to do with the emotional toll of the work, the level of pay, concerns about staff safety and the hours required.

When it comes to placing children in the least restrictive environment, federal law requires group or institutional placements to be time-limited, trauma-informed, and judicially reviewed, with the goal of returning the young person to their community as quickly as possible. 

When licensing agencies do health checks, they focus on these five areas:

Being a Qualified Residential Treatment Center comes with additional requirements:

It's important to note that some facilities are licensed through the Department of Children and Youth, and others through the Department of Behavioral Health. Between July 2024-2026, DCY took steps to improving policies, monitoring and staff training. 

2026 Ohio Supreme Court Videotaping

Link to photos. 

On Monday, August 17, 2026, OHIO YAB representatives filmed a video at the Ohio Supreme Court to train GALs as part of an upcoming virtual symposium. 

In the words of Shy, one of the the youth participants: 

• "Full-circle moment at the Supreme Court of Ohio in Columbus... We had the opportunity to participate in an in-person video recording where we shared our experiences and perspectives as current and former foster youth. Our voices will be used to help train Guardians ad Litem (GALs) as part of a statewide symposium.

• "It means so much knowing that our stories and experiences can help shape how future youth in foster care are represented, supported and heard. Our voices matter. Our experiences matter. And youth deserve to have a seat at the table when decisions are being made about them."