Centered on collective organizing with Fosters

Those closest to a problem are the closest to solving them. Relationships with Fosters inform all pillars of our work as they envision opportunities and better outcomes for Fosters that come after them.

Leadership Programs

Early Foster leaders challenged us to envision a ‘ladder of leadership’ for Minnesota Fosters that allows them to reclaim their foster care experience as part of their identity and have opportunities to connect with their peers. We currently host key leadership programs for Fosters across the state:

Community Board

Members of the Community Board will be our go-to advisers and the moral compass for our work. The Community Board will help decide our annual policy agenda and push Foster Advocates to develop actionable legislative and advocacy opportunities.

This is our highest level of commitment and leadership.

Fellowship

This annual cohort program allows Fosters to invest in their leadership by learning about themselves, strategic storytelling, advocacy and systems change.

This is a paid opportunity for Fosters interested in bringing their leadership to the next level. Upon completion, Fellows are invited to join the Community Board.

Applications for the 2023 Fellowship will open in January--Stay tuned!

Fostering Education

This is a new 2021 initiative based on design from our 2020 Foster Ed Leaders, with components available for high school Fosters and those in college.

Topic Design Projects

Each year we explore a new topic through a human center design (HCD) process, allowing Fosters to provide their expertise and insight on priority issues and dream broadly about solutions.

In 2020, we had two HCD projects. The first explored the question:

"How do we build power with and for Fosters?
This helped envision the ladder of leadership opportunities we have now. The second project explored the question:
"Why do MN Fosters have lower rates of getting to and through college and career pathways, and how do we break those barriers and promote success?"
This led to our Fostering Education Initiative and supported our 2021 legislative agenda.

Starting fall 2021, we worked with LGBTQ2S+ Fosters, who are overrepresented in the MN child welfare system, to explore their experiences in care.

Stay tuned for the next Design Project in 2023!

Our Leadership Principles

Our leadership work is grounded in these guiding principles, which are affirmed and adjusted annually by our Community Board and Fellows.

Review Leadership Principles

• Nothing about Fosters without Fosters. Those impacted by the system must be given the power to direct systems change, while not being alone in change-making work.

• Young people are experts and leaders now and deserve to be heard and valued for their voices, experiences, and ideas. 

• We believe deeply in the power of individual stories to spark change while using data to identify trends across the foster care experience.  

• To address the disproportionate impacts and systemic injustices in the foster care landscape, we focus on root causes and upstream thinking to guide advocacy priorities.

• Movements for change require adaptive leadership: leaning into curiosity around knowledge, practices, and behaviors to imagine and implement new possibilities.

• Cultivating community and advocacy are inherently intertwined. Advocacy happens within relationships and is transformational to individuals and communities. 

Agency & Voice

Foster leaders have made it clear they are ready for, and deserve, spaces for their voices to be heard, where they have a choice over how their stories are told and can share their power and purpose, not just their pain. Local and national partnerships allow Fosters to share their expert voices through speaking and writing opportunities (see examples on our news page).

Are you a Minnesota Foster interested in future writing and speaking opportunities?