On Wednesday, May 23, Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.) and the bipartisan Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth (CCFY) hosted more than 100 current and former foster youth from across the country as part of the 7th Annual Foster Youth Shadow Day in Washington, D.C. Every year, the event allows youth to share their experiences in foster care directly with their Member of Congress to help inform and improve child welfare policy.
“Any time a foster youth falls through the cracks, the government is really the one responsible,” Rep. Bass said. “When we remove children from their parents, it’s the government that becomes the parents. What can we do better? What are the tangible solutions?
That’s what this event is about. We had more than 100 youth from all over the country speaking to Members of Congress representing over 90 different congressional districts today and I look forward to the results of the many discussions had.”
Rep. Bass was shadowed by Megan Simon, a current resident of Los Angeles who was placed in foster care when she was only one year old.
“Although there is much to tell as far as trauma and traumatic experiences, I choose to focus on the more positive aspects of my story when looking back,” Megan said. “By focusing on how I was able to overcome these obstacles themselves, I was able to create a life for myself despite all that I had gone through.”
