Why Foster Youth Voice Matters: Beyond Being Heard

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Why Foster Youth Voice Matters: Beyond Being Heard What happens when we stop talking about foster youth and actually start listening to them? In Episode 44 of Outreach With Reggie , Reggie Holloway explores Foster Youth Voice Month , lived experience, youth advocacy, child welfare, mental health, and what it really means to give young people a meaningful voice in decisions that affect their lives.

Being invited into the room isn’t necessarily the same as having a voice. Being heard isn’t necessarily the same as being listened to.

And giving someone a microphone isn’t necessarily the same as giving them influence. This episode takes an honest look at youth participation, youth voice, tokenism, decision-making, advocacy, and the importance of closing the feedback loop when young people share their experiences and ideas.

Reggie also discusses the role of Selfless Love Foundation , which spearheads Foster Youth Voice Month each October, and its efforts to create opportunities for young people impacted by foster care to contribute to policy and child welfare conversations. Drawing from his own lived experience in foster care and years of youth advocacy, Reggie reflects on why lived experience belongs at the table—not simply as a powerful story, but as a meaningful source of insight that can help shape programs, policies, and solutions.

This episode asks: What happens when young people disagree with the adults in the room? Are we actually listening—or simply looking for agreement?

What power are we willing to share? And perhaps most importantly: What changes because a young person spoke?

Foster youth are more than their case files, placement histories, and experiences with the child welfare system. They are thinkers.

They are leaders. They are advocates.

They are creators. They are people with ideas about what should come next.

Foster Youth Voice Month isn’t just about amplifying young people’s voices. It’s about creating spaces where those voices can matter .

Because awareness is a starting point. Action is where the work begins. 🎙️ Outreach With Reggie Conversations that challenge systems and call communities to show up.