Ohio recently hosted five statewide events focusing on the needs and concerns of young people aging out of foster care.
1.) Spotlight on Homeless Youth: YEP hosted a statewide retreat for homeless youth on August 10, 2008. Because half of the youth in attendance have a history of foster care, Lisa Dickson was invited to lead a breakout session focusing on resources and opportunities.
2.) Success Is A Choice: Franklin County Children Services and PCSAO sponsored a statewide foster care youth rally on August 19, 2008, led by foster care alumni and motivational speaker Cedric Riley. 150 youth attended this event (pictured above), representing Athens, Hamilton, Franklin and Cuyahoga counties.
3.) PCSAO Conference: The Youth Track included representatives from the following organizations:
- FosterClub
- National Campaign to Prevent Youth and Unwed Pregnancy
- Foster Care Alumni of America
During this conference, the Ohio YAB was awarded Child Advocate of the Year!
4.) IL Summit: Ohio's second annual statewide Independent Living Summit was led by OACCA and supported by youth advocacy organizations throughout the state.
- Youth were able to share their insights with Ohio legislators and agency directors.
- The morning plenary session was led by the Institute of Human Services.
- YEP shared how to advocate for the needs of homeless youth and unite youth to create social change
- Information about valuable resources was provided, including Job Corps, WIA, ETV funds and Dress for Success.
Working Together: Next year, partnering agencies throughout the state of Ohio plan to work together to combine the PCSAO Youth Track with the OACCA IL Summit and create one fabulous two-day event!
5.) CASA conference: Three OHIO YAB members participated in the youth panel of the 14th annual Ohio CASA conference. Participants indicated that hearing from youth was one of the highlights of this event, and strongly recommended that young people return to share their voices and insights next year.
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