As a youth in foster care, you should be informed and help make decisions related to what happens to you. Adults should not make decisions about your placement and your future without your input. They should include, assist, and guide you as you make decisions, lead discussions, and work toward your goals.
It’s not easy when you are removed from your home and placed in care. You are thrust into a situation that you did not choose for yourself, but how you respond is up to you. Though it may not always feel like it, you can speak up about your wants, needs, concerns, questions, goals, and ambitions. As a youth in care, you have a right to participate in your case planning, and your caseworkers, caregivers, and other adults have an obligation to make sure you are heard.
This factsheet is intended to help you use your voice in whatever ways you are comfortable doing so, whether it is speaking up, writing it down, or enlisting the support of others to express your wants and needs. This factsheet provides information about how you can engage with the child welfare system and advocate for yourself and others.