Looking back on 2023!
Greetings to our amazing Village!
As we close out 2023, I wanted to share with you my deep gratitude for our Foster Advocates community, our work and the incredible impact we’ve had this year!
As I stepped into the organization in April, we were already leading powerful advocacy work at the legislature and building on Minnesota Promise. We closed out the legislative session feeling hopeful and looking forward to the ways in which we will continue to push for greater accountability on Survivor Benefits. Another exciting step towards justice that we were collectively able to experience this year was the announcement of the Ombudsperson for Foster Youth and the Board! The existence of this new office was the culmination of years of work from our community and absolutely wouldn’t have been possible without Fosters organizing, testifying and elevating their experiences to achieve true reform.
An additional highlight of this year has been witnessing our growing network of Fosters through Minnesota Promise. While we’ve been able to conduct in-person meetings throughout every region in Minnesota-revealing and validating emerging issues impacting Fosters–we’re not done yet! Stay tuned for upcoming virtual sessions in 2024 and the continuation of our Minnesota Promise journey as we build towards our comprehensive agenda for justice!
This year, Foster Advocates also held two powerful events–our Five Year Celebration, highlighting our five years and five bills–as well as our first ever Thanksgiving event: A Table for Fosters! Both of these gatherings served as opportunities to strengthen our engagement with each other and resulted in deeper connections and a renewed commitment to our shared values.
Building upon this foundation of a Foster movement is hard work. But throughout this year, I’ve watched our incredible team and Foster leaders across the state, show up time and time again for one another and for our greater community. The work they’ve led, and the change they’ve created–is now being replicated across the country. We’ve witnessed our Fostering Education legislation pass for Fosters in Minnesota and then watched that same legislation used as the foundation for other communities to access their educational dreams. Over and over again we’re able to see how centering Fosters results in cascading impacts across all of our communities.
As I look across our accomplishments from this year, I am overjoyed by the common thread of all of our successes: Fosters. Whether it’s our advocacy work–resulting in powerful systems shifts, our network and leadership building–resulting in deeper relationships amongst the Foster community or even our events–that are centered on and with Fosters–what is most evident is that Fosters are at the heart of it all.
However, none of this would be possible without the support from you, our village. Thank you for showing up for Fosters. Thank you for standing beside us as we advocate for systems change. Thank you for investing in our vision for justice. We are grateful for your continued support and look forward to all of the ways we will continue to work together to achieve true justice for every Foster in Minnesota.
In Solidarity,
Nikki Beasley
Executive Director