Youth-Led Policy Training & Leadership Development through Civic Engagement

Support for foster and systems-impacted youth

County of Los Angeles (select only if your project has a countywide benefit)

Applying a proven solution to a new issue or sector (using an existing model, tool, resource, strategy, etc. for a new purpose)

California Youth Connection (CYC) seeks to address the systemic inequities and barriers that current and former foster youth face in shaping the policies and services that directly affect their lives. Too often, foster youth are excluded from decision-making processes, resulting in programs and systems that fail to reflect their lived experiences, needs, and aspirations. This lack of inclusion perpetuates cycles of disempowerment, poor outcomes in education, housing, employment, and mental health, and a continued disconnect between service providers and the youth they aim to support. CYC understands that authentic youth engagement, leadership development, and policy advocacy led by those with lived experience are essential to creating lasting, meaningful change within the child welfare system and beyond.

This grant will support CYC’s Youth Training Project, a statewide, youth-led initiative that equips current and former foster youth with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to become leaders in policy advocacy and systems change. The project provides a structured training curriculum focused on leadership development, public speaking, civic education, and policy literacy. Participants engage in workshops, peer-to-peer facilitation, storytelling for advocacy, and hands-on experiences with legislative processes.
The initiative also offers mentorship and coaching from alumni and adult allies, ensuring youth have the support needed to navigate complex systems and develop their voice. Youth who complete the training often go on to lead advocacy campaigns, testify before legislative bodies, co-design public programs, and hold leadership roles within CYC’s governance and decision-making structures.
By centering lived experience and youth leadership, this project not only empowers individual participants but also ensures that foster care policies and practices across California reflect the insights and priorities of those directly impacted.

If CYC’s work is successful, Los Angeles County will be a place where current and former foster youth are empowered leaders, actively shaping the systems that impact their lives. Youth voices will be embedded in the design and implementation of child welfare policies, leading to more equitable, effective, and responsive services. Public agencies, schools, and community organizations will collaborate with foster youth as partners, not just recipients of services. The result will be improved outcomes in education, housing stability, mental health, and civic engagement for foster youth, and a more just, inclusive, and youth-centered approach to policymaking across the county.