by Leroy Berrones Soto Jr., TACFS Youth Impact Project Manager
Foster Youth Voice Month is an opportunity for child welfare advocates to elevate youth voices to change their futures and those of generations to come. And this year’s theme, My Story, My Way is all about telling our own stories on our own terms. Taking the time to process and reflect on what might have been a harrowing childhood is no small feat! As they build their adult lives, youth with lived experience are learning how and with whom to tell their stories.
This month, we celebrate all the manifestations of youth voices in our diverse community. Alliance for Our Futures is supporting and developing youth councils in Texas provider operations as they engage in meaningful work with youth both aging out of care and those who already have. These young people are at a unique crossroads because many have already grown up too fast but still need and crave the family-like support and lifelong connections.
When it comes to getting a job, going to college, and beginning an adult life, youth often realize that the fact of their foster care history can feel sometimes beneficial and sometimes disqualifying.
We learn to be more selective with whom we tell about our history for many reasons…
- It can implicate our family members and name our siblings and foster siblings (who may not wish to publicize their stories)
- Because the recipient of the story may be triggered by the details and every setting isn’t the right one to tell it
- Because our stories are meaningful and not everyone is entitled to hear them. Some people wish to capitalize (exploit) youth stories for the wrong reasons
My Story, My Way is a reminder for both the TACFS community and youth with lived experience to treat these stories with care. Alongside 29 other states, Texas is participating in Foster Youth Voice Month and encourages YOU to listen to youth voices, engage with the issues that transition-age youth are facing, and be a part of the solutions.