COVID-19 Resources and Information for Foster Youth

We are monitoring the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation as it relates to law and litigation. Find more resources and articles on our COVID-19 portal. For the duration of the crisis, all coronavirus-related articles are outside the Section of Litigation paywall and available to all readers.

On March 19, the non-profit Think of Us hosted a town hall for current and former foster youth with the Children’s Bureau leader Jerry Milner to hear youth concerns during the COVID-19 outbreak. Think of Us received 1,400 submissions from youth in association with the town hall, which identified basic needs as their primary worry during COVID-19, including food, housing, health care, financial assistance, and technology. Children’s lawyers need to be talking to their clients and advocating for them to ensure that these basic needs are being addressed.

In addition, one of the best ways to manage during a national crisis is to have accurate information and access to resources. For current and former foster youth, crises can be especially challenging. As lawyers, it is important that we know where our current and former clients can access accurate and up-to-date information to assist them in securing the support that they need. There are several organizations keeping up-to-date information for current and former foster youth, information on public policy and legislative action, and resources for child welfare professionals and caregivers. These websites are updated regularly and include information that will be helpful in advocating for our child clients during this unprecedented time.

The Foster Club’s resource page can be found here.

Think of Us has a Child Welfare COVID-19 Command Center which can be found here.

Cathy Krebs is the director of the Children's Rights Litigation Committee.

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