our work

Our Impact

Beyond being effective advocates, we change the life trajectory of both young people who directly participate in our programs and thousands of others who benefit from our policy and budgetary wins. We continue to invest in a dual-pronged approach incorporating both positive youth and leadership development, as well as systemic reform to create lasting change.

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policy wins since 2001.
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young people have been impacted by our policy wins.
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in state investments in services and support for young people experiencing foster care or homelessness have been prompted by our advocacy work.
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of surveyed youth and young adult participants in 2023 said that participation in our Youth Programs helped them see themselves as leaders.
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Read our 2023-2024 Advocacy Report to learn more about our work and impact.

READ THE REPORT

To learn more about who we are, what we do, and each of our programs, take a look at our organizational overview linked below.

Advocacy Achievements

The Mockingbird Society champions legislation that significantly improves Washington State’s laws for youth impacted by foster care and homelessness.

Since 2001, The Mockingbird Society has successfully led advocacy efforts to achieve more than 60 legislative and policy reforms.

  • SB 5908: Extended Foster Care: On March 19, 2024, Senate Bill 5908 Extended Foster Care (EFC) was officially signed into law. Beginning on June 6, 2024, the following elements of the bill will go into effect: Any young person who is dependent at age 18 will be eligible for Extended Foster Care; Young people can sign a voluntary placement agreement or an agreement to participate in EFC anytime within six months of their 18th birthday (even before they turn 18), and they can sign those forms electronically; and young people who enroll in EFC must receive their first subsidy within one month. This marks The Mockingbird Society’s 70th major legislative win since its inception in 2000.
  • The Bridge Residential: This support agenda item was carried to the finish line by Northstar Advocates and The Bridge Coalition. The Bridge will create two 6-10 bed community-based housing programs that young people can stay in for 1-90 days as they identify long-term housing. Behavioral health services, consultation, and technical assistance will be provided.