IMPACT AREA SPOTLIGHT

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IMPACT AREA SPOTLIGHT

Policy & Practice
“Policy & Practice are essential to the work that we do at Foster Success. Supporting teens and young adults extends beyond our programs and resources. It’s about changing systems and ensuring that those who are most impacted by foster care are part of that change process at the local, state, and national levels.”

– Maggie Stevens, President & CEO

From Homeless to Housing Advocate

When the Indiana Lieutenant Governor made an appearance at a Foster Success event, Sierra knew this was her chance.

Her chance to tell the second most powerful person in the state government about the time she was homeless for 18 months, living on the street, eating garbage, with no one and nowhere to turn to. About her friends who have had similar experiences. About the lack of resources in her rural Indiana community, Bicknell.

Bicknell is more than an hour drive to even small cities such as Evansville and Terre Haute. Homeless shelters are nonexistent and resources are scarce, she said.

Sierra, now 27, transitioned out of the state’s foster care system and leaned on Foster Success for nearly a decade. She continues to advocate for young people with foster care experience. She was one of about a dozen young people who participated in our inaugural Day at the Statehouse event in February 2023.

It was there that she shared her story with Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch.

“It was tough not having a place to stay, not having a place to shower, not having a place to feel safe. When the vehicle I was staying in got towed, everything that I owned was towed with it – that was my home. There were nights I was riding my bike at 3 o’clock in the morning because I didn’t have anywhere to go. I didn’t have family to turn to,” Sierra said.

Within hours, Crouch was on the phone with Knox County officials, and by the end of the day, Sierra was connected to a Knox County commissioner.

“(Crouch) said she would contact the Knox County commissioner and see where it went from there. I was still at the Statehouse when a commissioner called me so I thought that was pretty cool and fast,” Sierra said.

Since then, she has joined the Knox County Homeless Task Force.

“It’s really interesting to see how (the county) measures homelessness. I personally know a lot of 18-24 year olds who are homeless in our community, but the county’s homeless count is zero.

I thought that was really interesting because I know that’s not accurate. I can help in that way because I have that lived experience. A lot of people aren’t going to admit that they’re homeless, but if you’re sleeping on someone’s couch, you are,” Sierra said.

About 20% of the young people who responded to Foster Success’s most recent impact survey said they are homeless or had been homeless in the last six months, and 16% said they are in an unstable housing situation such as couch surfing or a temporary placement.

Staff members group photo
Impact Policy and Practice Meeting 2
Now that Sierra and her family are housed and stable, she would like to ensure nobody else goes through what she did. She is also looking for ways to support similar work in Daviess County, where her church community is located.

Sierra is not the only one working to make changes. About 72% of young people who responded to the survey said they feel they can influence systems. About 95% of young people said they can communicate effectively with people, and 83% said they are empowered to share their foster care experiences.

“I’ve been there. I know the feeling of being scared, the fear of not having somewhere to call home,” Sierra said. “I don’t want anyone to have to feel like that.”

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of young people said they can communicate effectively

%

of young people said they are empowered to share their foster care experiences

%

of young people said they feel they can influence systems

%

of young people said they are homeless or had been homeless

%

of young people said they are in an unstable housing situation

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