Foster Youth Advocacy: A Year in Review and a Look at What’s to Come

From Children’s Advocacy Day to True Up’s Education Outcomes Interactive Report, the past year we have been making strides that strengthened youth voice, elevated lived experience, and advanced advocacy for young people in foster care and foster care alumni.

In March 2026, Peer Network members traveled to Frankfort for Children’s Advocacy Day, where they received training on key state legislation that would impact Kentucky youth and families, as well as guidance on how to use their voice and lived experience when engaging with decision-makers. Equipped with this knowledge, Peer Network members met with Representative Kim Holloway to discuss the importance of ensuring youth in care have access to state-issued identification, along with other issues impacting youth in foster care.

As the legislative session ended in April 2026, True Up celebrated legislative wins for foster youth. The 2026 Legislative Session brought significant budget wins of $6 million being appropriated to support relative and fictive kin caregivers, as well as the implementation of SB 151 (2024); and $22 million to support out-of-home care, specialized services for children with exceptional needs, and efforts to identify appropriate placements. There were also policy wins that ensured federal benefits are preserved for youth (HB 669) and strengthened placement quality and safety for children in foster care, while improving placement coordination and recruitment of foster homes (HB 778).

Following the legislative session, in May 2026, True Up launched its Interactive Education Data Dashboard. The dashboard provides a comprehensive look at educational outcomes, explores innovative programs, and suggests policy solutions to improve education outcomes.

The launch event featured remarks from previous Peer Network Members Kwanita Allen and Sarah Ritchey, Representative Samara Heavrin, Department for Community Based Services Commissioner Lesa Dennis, and Dr. Tara Rodriguez, Director of the Division of School and Program Improvement at the Kentucky Department of Education. Together, these leaders emphasized the importance of using data, lived experience, and cross-sector collaboration to create better educational opportunities for youth impacted by foster care. 

In 2026, legislative advocacy has extended beyond the state level, with True Up tracking the progress of federal legislation aimed at expanding the use of Chafee funds for transition aged youth. These bills have now been combined into one bill and passed unanimously out of the House and been referred to the Senate Committee on Finance.

As we reflect on the efforts of this year’s Peer Network cohort in advocating for foster youth and continue to uplift the voices of lived experts, we look ahead to True Up’s next chapter of this work through Advocacy Fellows. 

 “It is important that lived experts have a say in policy because we have actually lived through that experience. We singlehandedly know the cracks in the system and our input could make or break it for the next youth. It means the world to me to be a part of this movement for something bigger than myself. Talking to policy makers and advocating for real change has altered my perspective and allowed me to be more open minded.”

– Elizabeth Murry Coleman, Peer Network Member

True Up is continuing and expanding its advocacy efforts through its inaugural cohort of Advocacy Fellows. Representing each of Kentucky’s federal congressional districts, the Fellows will receive training in state and federal advocacy, while bringing their lived experience as former foster youth to decision-makers to advocate for changes across federal and state systems. This expanded model, will continue to elevate the voices of lived experts while Fellows are partnered with mentor organizations and individuals who are invested in improving outcomes for current and former foster youth. The Advocacy Fellows retreat will be held on July 10th and 11th as an opportunity for connection building where Fellows will be introduced to one another, state legislators, and Kentucky Youth Advocates. The retreat will also provide engaging training, such as a Federal Advocacy training with Journey to Success and a Storytelling training.

The progress made this year demonstrates what is possible when young people with lived experience are empowered to lead. As we look ahead, we invite everyone to continue to follow True Up efforts in empowering lived experts. We encourage stakeholders and community members to: 

• Continue to track federal legislation through Journey to Success’ Legislation Tracker
• Sign up for True Up Email Updates to receive updates on Advocacy Fellows, legislative priorities, events, and more!