By: Crystal Willis, Youth Engagement Coordinator

On May 15th, youth advocates and policymakers came together for an inspiring evening dedicated to strengthening advocacy skills and building bridges between residential leadership teams and state legislators. The event was designed with two primary goals: to empower residential leadership teams to effectively engage with legislators and to raise awareness among policymakers about the critical issues that youth in care face.

Attendees included members of Maryhurst’s wonderful student council, families from St. Joseph’s Children’s Home, and True Up’s Peer Network. The night was both eventful and informative, centered around an “Advocacy 101” training session. Participants learned practical strategies for engaging with decision-makers and advocating for meaningful change, followed by a conversation with legislators.

The special highlight of the evening was the Legislator conversation, featuring Representative Nima Kulkarni and Representative Sarah Stalker. Both legislators shared about their journey to becoming representatives and what their main reasons were for wanting to advocate on behalf of others.

Representative Kulkarni spoke about being the only immigrant in KY’s House and the dire need for different voices in Frankfort to inform policies. She also highlighted work she’s championing  related to transition aged youth and the need for supports in this age range. Services for young people in care are typically terminated when they turn 18, unless they request to extend their commitment until their 21st birthday. 

“No one should spend their 21st birthday trying to figure out where they are going to live.” – Representative Kulkarni

Representative Stalker shared that she was previously a foster parent to many young people so she saw an opportunity to highlight the needs of youth in Frankfort and advocate for these issues on a larger scale. During her time as a foster parent she  recognized numerous needs among youth in care that were all related to systemic barriers or needs that could be challenged on a systemic level. As a result, Rep. Stalker remains adamant about being incredibly accessible to her constituents and hearing about issues their community faces.

One member of the Peer Network shared that “[she] was surprised that Representative Stalker remembered her from a 15 minute meeting months ago, but it felt great to be remembered and to be heard.” 

To end the night, participants enjoyed an evening of arcade games and bowling at Main Event and had a fun time connecting with others. We are appreciative of all young people who were able to join us and learn about how to further their advocacy skills, and appreciate their willingness to speak with their representatives about issues that matter to them.

A heartfelt thank you to both Representative Kulkarni and Representative Stalker for their participation and commitment to listening to youth voices.