Bianca Bennett-Scott | She/Her/Hers

Age 26, 8 years in New York’s foster care system

Q: As a former Foster youth now 35 years old. Please share your experience prior to exiting the system. Has your experience in the system been positive, negative or both

I am 26. My experience before exiting foster care was confusing, yet it provided a sense of home. During my latter years in care, I was placed with my maternal grandmother, which left me uncertain about whether I was still in the system. After she passed away shortly after my 21st birthday, I quickly realized I was unprepared for what lay ahead. This period was particularly negative for me because I lacked support from the system due to my kinship care status. Additionally, I was dealing with significant trauma and pain, which I had to face alone. It was incredibly isolating.

Q: Why should Lived Experience (LEx) Leaders be involved in changing the system and can you share an example of how you’ve helped change the system (if you have one)?

LEx Leaders should be involved in system change because we have the direct experiences that can help create effective solutions. Without our voices, solutions would continue to be ineffective because policies and implementation practices are not authentic. To honor authenticity and people's real life challenges, LEx Leaders have to be embedded in system change. 

One example of my contributions to system change is sharing my input and experiences to help advance Family First Prevention Services Act and the importance of providing kinship providers with the support they need to take care of their families. I feel like I greatly contributed to helping policymakers understand the importance of that assistance through sharing my own unique experiences and being a part of the conversations around implementation measures benefitting vulnerable families and BIPOC.

Q: What do you think policymakers should know about supporting youth in foster care?

I find it fascinating how, during sessions and conversations with policymakers, they are deeply moved by hearing lived experiences and understanding what people are going through. These stories challenge their assumptions and highlight aspects that statistics alone cannot capture. Youth in foster care face unique challenges that only they can fully articulate and explain. Listening to their stories helps policymakers understand the emotional and psychological impact of policies and systems on young people. 

I urge all policymakers to actively engage with foster youth, listen to their experiences, and let these insights shape their understanding around foster youth needs to help guide their policies and decisions. We have to keep things data driven and human centered. 

Q: I’ve worked as a case manager for kids in foster care. I was very upset with how the “system” was failing my kids. How can I get involved in advocacy to work on systemic changes in the system? 

Case managers are incredibly special because you have the leverage and connections to help inform and create spaces that better prepare others to support youth who experience foster care. Look into local organizations as passionate about system change as you are and mobilize. We are always better together.

I also suggest thinking about the needs you’ve seen young people face and finding tangible ways to create solutions. For example, many former social workers have mentioned that youth who experience foster care often don’t have their own suitcases and bags to move their belongings. Consider your network and how you can educate and mobilize them to address such issues. Be creative - everything counts. But always make sure to connect with young people with foster care experience so you are leading changes informed by their lived experiences.

Q: In hindsight, what should a first step be for someone who is struggling to transition as an adult? 

I would suggest starting by connecting with peers and finding people who can relate to the realities of transitioning to adulthood. It's really hard to understand the nuances of adulthood, even for adults, let alone the trauma that young people endure in foster care.

Connecting with individuals who have firsthand experiences of these challenges and can relate to young people helps create those connections that help ensure resources are received and utilized. Trusting relationships ensure people are safe with sharing their barriers in order to make those resources work. Also, having a strong advocate who can either help directly or connect young people with the necessary resources even if they don't have lived experience is important because it helps build confidence and a social capital during this transition. I missed out on a lot of my resources because I just didn't know it was out there and that I could ask people for help. 

Q: I am a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA). To those of you who have come through the system, what did CASA do to help?  What did you dislike about your CASA worker?

I did not have a CASA, but I wish I did. It seemed very beneficial for my peers to have an advocate and another person in their corner to help them understand how to advocate for their own needs and desires.

Q: Thanks to everyone for sharing! I am 36 and experienced foster care. I would like to give back to this community but in general I hit a lot of dead ends and many groups are age restricted to younger people being able to help. How can I help? 

Look into the Foster Care Alumni of America network and see if your city or a neighboring one has a chapter. If not, I think it's really important to connect with organizations focused on the betterment and empowerment of young people and families. Consider helping foster parents by using your lived experience to help with their training, or if you are into education, reach out to schools and ask if you can host events or programs for youth who experience foster care. Tap into your own experiences and MAKE spaces to fill some of the things you want to advocate for. 

Q: What are your goals when transitioning from a youth advocate role to full-fledged adult roles?

Now that I am transitioning into adulthood and advancing in my professional career, I am really focused on expanding the impact of my advocacy work. I've always been dedicated to advocating for the equitable treatment of youth who experience foster care, but I'm also becoming more aware of the intersectionalities of identities and communities. I am really focused at this part of my life on deepening my understanding of how social issues like race, gender, socioeconomic status, and LGBTQ+ identities intersect to better address the needs of marginalized groups. I want to use the tools that I have learned in child welfare, such as the importance of incorporating lived experience, and help build policy and implementation frameworks and networks for professionals, mentors, and like-minded individuals who want to better systems for the most disenfranchised communities.

Q: What was your main barrier (if any) to post secondary education? What is one thing you wish you had known or had access to in furthering your education/career post high school?

I had two main barriers in my post-secondary education journey. The first was being able to find and connect with financial and school/community-based resources that could help me navigate the complexities of college. I was disconnected from many services and resources during my undergraduate career, and when I did connect with them, it was too late for me to utilize them in my graduate career because I was no longer eligible. However, one resource that did stay constant and was very beneficial in covering some of the financial costs was the Chafee and Educational Training Voucher (ETV). I'm not sure how I was connected with ETV, but it was very helpful throughout my undergraduate career.

The second barrier I encountered was emotional regulation. Due to the traumas and triggers I experienced in foster care, I struggled to manage my emotions effectively in a school environment. When faced with social and academic challenges, I often found it not only difficult to navigate these situations effectively but also did not understand why my emotional reactions would happen when navigating these challenges. 

I found myself in some pretty difficult situations that affected my overall academic performance and career. If anything, I just wish I had the knowledge and support to help navigate the basic concepts of being an adult such as managing finances and basic life skills, as well as the emotional support to help face challenges in an effective way.