A Critical Analysis of Foster Youth Advisory Boards in the United States
Issue: 1
This journal article describes a study that sought to identify how child welfare agencies implement Youth Advisory Boards and how youth aging out of care or practitioners working with this population can access their local boards. The researchers conducted a content analysis of public child welfare agency programs to identify the youth boards in each state and the District of Columbia. Of the 51 youth boards, the researchers found that some were exclusively administered by public child welfare agencies and others by public-nonprofit partnerships. The study identifies the contact information for each youth board. They concluded that Youth Advisory Boards can be useful, pro-social mediums to include foster youth in case planning and policy dialog, while simultaneously promoting a sense of leadership, mentorship, and ecological permanence. (author abstract modified)
