Foster Youth Rub Shoulders With Lawmakers, Bring Change

It was the sixth time that the Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth sponsored its annual shadow day, an event that brings young people who have recently left the foster system to Washington to share their stories with policymakers. Some participants’ stories could make their way into legislation. Examples include a bill introduced last year by Michigan Democratic Rep. Brenda Lawrence that would require mental health screenings for children in foster placement, or another that passed the House on Tuesday, sponsored by Missouri Republican Ann Wagner, that would require a study of how many foster children become victims of sex trafficking. The event can also influence lawmakers in more subtle ways. Past participants have landed congressional internships or developed lasting relationships with the members they shadowed, Bass said.