At Foster Success, we realize that supporting the 24,000 teens and young adults who have experienced foster care in Indiana is about more than delivering programs and services. It also is about changing the systems that surround them so they can thrive.
We do that by advancing work in three areas:
Advocacy
Policy
Research
Foster Success has successfully fought to improve the lives of teens and young adults in foster care at the local, state, and federal levels.
Foster Success has a proven track record of conducting research and using the data to motivate lawmakers to change policies that impact those in foster care.
One notable victory was the extension of foster care services to the age of 23. With this progress, teens and young adults in foster care have increased access to the educational, financial, and medical resources they need to successfully transition to adulthood.
The organization also successfully fought to require the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) and Indiana Department of Child Services (DCS) to share data on the educational progress of children in Indiana’s foster care system and issue a yearly education outcomes report. Before this reporting requirement was put into place, the high school graduation rates of Indiana students in foster care weren’t even tracked.
DOWNLOAD REPORT
2020 Foster Youth Education Outcomes Report Detail
Foster Success’s 2023 Legislative Priorities
Increase Access to Safe Driving for Indiana’s Older Foster Youth
- Fund the Insuring Foster Youth Trust Fund created in 2022.
- Automatically qualify individuals receiving DCS services for a State Auto Insurance Plan.
Increase Private Support for Non-Profit Child Welfare Organizations
- Expand the Foster Care Tax Credit Program to donors of the Insuring Foster Youth Trust Fund.
- Extend the program through January 1, 2028.
Ensure Youth Voice is Present in all Decisions that Impact their Outcomes
- Provide high quality legal representation for older foster youth throughout all stages of their case regardless of their placement or outcome.
Ensure Basic Needs are Met for Individuals Transitioning out of the State’s Foster Care System
- DEI/LGBTQ+
- Educational Resources
- Housing
- Mental Health Care