Young Adults from Foster Care ‘Shadow’ Lansing Legislators

A dozen young adults, 18-25, with experience in Michigan’s foster care system to the state Capitol on June 13, 2019, for the first-ever NFYI Legislative Shadow Day in Lansing. The young people, 18-25, are joining their lawmakers in the day’s work and sharing recommendations for the state’s child welfare system based on their own experiences. The young people are shadowing their own legislators: State Sens. Curtis Hertel Jr., East Lansing, Rick Outman, R-Six Lakes, and Wayne Schmidt, R-Traverse City; State Reps. Sarah Anthony, D-Lansing; John Cherry, D-Flint; LaTanya Garrett, D-Detroit; Kara Hope, D-Holt; Luke Meerman, R-Coopersville; Ronnie Peterson, D-Ypsilanti; Isaac Robinson, D-Detroit; Joe Tate, D-Detroit; and Robert Wittenberg, D-Huntington Woods. Each of the participants in the Michigan Job Shadow Day have strong ties to advocacy work geared to improving outcomes for those currently in foster care and those who will follow them. They have allowed Michigan’s Children to share their stories.

  • Read a story about NFYI Presents Michele Corey with First-Ever National ‘Fostering Exemplary Change Award’ here.
  • Read the Statewide Colleagues Praise Michele Corey’s Dedication to Improving Foster Care here.
  • Read the news release about the Michigan Job Shadow Day here.

Read the stories of the Michigan Job Shadow Day participants below:

Michael Davis-Thomas
Andre Foster
Halley Miller
Matthew Miller
Charday Penick
Lansing Sanchez-Castillo
Heaven Shaman-Page
David Van Horn
Ashley Watkins
Brina Williams

  • Read more about young people aging out of foster care here.
  • Read more about the National Foster Youth Institute, who’s Michigan Leadership Corps are leading this effort, here.
  • Read more about Fostering Success and The New Foster Care, critical partners in this effort, here.