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Advocate
Become an Advocate.
Change begins with you. Join hundreds of others who are passionate about transforming the child welfare system and ending youth homelessness through advocacy. Every winter, we host a Youth Advocacy Day in Olympia. Hundreds of young people, foster families, and allies gather at the Capitol to meet with policymakers and educate them on issues impacting youth experiencing foster care or homelessness.
If you can’t make Youth Advocacy Day, there are a number of opportunities to get involved by calling or emailing your representatives. Sign up for our Advocacy Alerts to stay updated on how you can support and center the advocacy work of young people!
Check out our Advocacy Resources below to learn more about what effective advocacy can look like.
If you are between the ages of 13-24, please check out our Youth Programs to become an advocate with one of our regional chapters!
Advocacy Resources
Get to know your Legislators
Copy & paste this message into an email to your representatives. Make sure you add their name to the greeting and your name to the signature, and feel free to make this message your own!
Subject Line: Support critical priorities impacting young people experiencing homelessness and foster care this legislative session
Message:
Dear [Decision Maker],
Young people experiencing homelessness and foster care are in every community in our state. While their individual needs are unique, every young person needs safety, stability, and support to thrive. I am writing to urge you to prioritize funding and policy focused on meeting these needs this legislative session.
I ask for your strong consideration to support:
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SB 5908- Extended Foster Care (EFC): By expanding EFC eligibility requirements and available resources, Washington could better support its youth and young adults as they enter adulthood. This bill would amend elements of the program, provide financial subsidies, streamline stipends, address delays, and prevent involuntary exits for enhanced program effectiveness.
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SB 5591- Financial Capabilities: Young people in Washington state who are in foster care need access to financial literacy skills and a bank account at a young age. This would help them be successful when they leave care, and without these resources, they can become trapped in a cycle of poverty. This bill would direct the Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) to establish bank accounts for youth in foster care ages 14+ with a $25 monthly allowance deposit, paired with financial education beginning at 12 years of age.
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HB 1953 | SB 5800- Department of Licensing: This bill would expand the eligibility on the required adult signature for a driver’s license application to include a “Responsible Adult,” which would increase eligibility to apply for a driver’s license.
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HB 1929- The Bridge Residential: The Bridge Residential is a proposal to align with The Bridge Coalition. It’s designed to ensure young people facing unaccompanied homelessness and exiting inpatient behavioral health treatment have safe housing and services to avoid being discharged into homelessness or emergency-based services. This bill would 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. The budget request is $3 million annually.
I know you have many difficult choices in the days and weeks ahead. I thank you for your service to our community and urge your support for critical priorities impacting young people experiencing homelessness and foster care.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
Learn more about Mockingbird's Legislative Agenda
Legislative Advocacy Training
Mockingbird's Annual Advocacy Cycle
