Last week, L.A. Mayor Karen Bass wrapped up the city's Foster Youth Shadow Day, an event placing foster youth in the heart of local government and policymaking processes. "Investing in our young people means investing in the future of Los Angeles," Mayor Bass remarked, as she ended the two-day engagement program with a luncheon that both acknowledged the participants' achievements and invited reflections on their experiences, as reported by Mayor Bass's official newsroom.
The Shadow Day, supported by the National Foster Youth Institute, linked sixteen foster youth with civic leaders across the city. These young delegates took part in a series of activities including attending a City Council meeting, shadowing council members such as Eunisses Hernandez, and participating in discussions with high-level department representatives. They also joined a Metro Board meeting with Mayor Bass and LA County Supervisors, according to details shared by the Mayor's official news platform.
Throughout the program, the participating youth engaged in discussions shedding light on key issues faced by foster youth in Los Angeles. Among the mentors and public servants they met was L.A. County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger, who told the Mayor's news site, "Their insights are invaluable and help guide my perspective on child welfare moving forward."
Goharik 'Gigi' Tashchyan, one of the youth delegates, expressed her gratitude for the opportunity. "Being able to sit down with city leaders and see how decisions are made shows me and our entire community that young people from foster care belong in these rooms and that our voices can shape the future of Los Angeles," she told the news service affiliated with the Mayor's office. In what appears to be a direct response to the insights gained, several city departments and the Mayor’s Fund are rolling out initiatives aimed at supporting foster youth. These initiatives include allocating an annual seat on the LA City Youth Council to a current or former foster youth, increasing mental health support at FamilySource Centers, and enhancing a program to prevent homelessness among youth aging out of foster care, the Mayor's newsroom announced.
In a broader context, Mayor Bass is no stranger to advocating for foster youth. Her work on their behalf dates back to her time in Congress, where she started the Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth and initiated the Foster Youth Shadow Day. The success of those efforts has seen a local evolution through L.A.'s own version of the program, which has already begun to impact local legislation concerning foster youth support services, as stated by the official news outlet of the mayor’s office.
