Amplifying the Voices of Youth Experiencing & Aged Out of Foster Care During COVID-19

Disasters, including disease outbreaks like COVID-19, share a common potential for significant ecological and psychosocial disruption at the individual, community, and societal levels. These disasters are especially harmful to members of social groups in vulnerable situations, including youth in foster care and those who have recently exited care. Our 2020 study on the experiences of older youth in and aged out of foster care during COVID-19 showed that more than half of the participants screened positive for symptoms of anxiety and/or depression. There is also a mental health disparity between adults with and without experiences in foster care. Improved mental health support for youth with foster care experiences is needed. Through a new partnership with The Center for High Impact Philanthropy, we are amplifying the voices of these young people to raise awareness about the impact of COVID-19 on their mental health and how stakeholders can help. We are also leveraging the expertise of these young people to provide insight about how donors can better intervene to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 now and disasters in the future. We hope that this work raises public awareness about this issue and helps to inform future crisis philanthropy efforts so that the next time disaster strikes, stakeholders are better prepared to meaningfully provide support for these young people.