1. Ohio Youth Advisory Board
Our mission: We exist to be the knowledgeable
statewide voice that influences policies and
practices that effect all youth who have or will
experience out of home care.

2. 2014 Ohio YAB Focus Areas
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Outreach and Policy
Transitional Housing
Education
Youth Voice in Court
Independent Living Preparation
Employment

3. Outreach and Policy
OHIO YAB President (Stark County)
Focus Areas:
1. Youth voice on
statewide discussions of
Foster Care to 21
2. Outreach to Ohio
counties that don’t have
a local Youth Advisory
Board
3. YAB promotion and
involvement in
conferences this year.

4. Building More
Boards:
Reaching out regionally

5. 1. What would it look like?
2. Would youth be allowed to leave
foster care and then come back
again?
3. What level of freedom will youth
in foster care between ages 18-21
receive?
4. Will there be coaching and
additional preparation for youth?
5. What will the response be for
emancipated foster youth calling in
a time of crisis?

6. Transitional Housing
OHIO YAB Vice President (Cuyahoga County)
Focus Areas:
1. Best Practice: Promote
existing Ohio transitional
housing models.
2. Advocate for additional
transitional housing
options, and youth
awareness of existing
resources.
3. Address Eligibility Barriers

7. Transitional Housing
Progress on Goals
1.) Assisted in facilitating
Kick-off of the Youth and
Alumni Taskforce to End
Youth Homelessness in
Cincinnati.
2.) Compiling a list of
transitional housing
resources.
3.) Partnering with a Place 4
Me in Cleveland.

8. Education
OHIO YAB Media Spokesman (Franklin County)
Focus Areas:
1. Supporting Ohio Reach
Campus Liaison training
2. Promoting Best Practices for
Custodial Agencies to Support
Youth’s Educational Success
3. Educational Mentoring Model:
(a.) middle school mentee,
(b.) high school/college advisor,
(c.) adult mentor

9. Advocating for Youth in Residential Placements
Youth-Developed Recommendations
1.) Staff at residential facilities should be trauma-informed, and skilled
to assist youth in dealing with their triggers.
2.) Youth who are placed in residential facilities should be informed of
their personal rights, and who to contact if they feel physically
unsafe.
4.) Residential facilities should separate out youth who are suicidal from
youth who are physically violent.
5.) Residential facilities should provide a distinction between tweens
(ages 12-14) with teens (ages 15-17). Their developmental needs
are different.
6.) Current residential policies be reviewed with input from current
and/or former foster youth, including their policies on seclusion,
staff training and independent living preparation.

10. Youth Voice in Court
OHIO YAB Parliamentarian (Lorain County)
Focus Areas:
1. Expanding pilot of youth
developed discharge
form
2. Promote youth voice in
court
3. Legal Symposium being
planned for 2015

11. Youth Voice in Court
Progress on Goals
1.) Met with GAL
2.) Met with judges
3.) Glossary of
Court Language
4.) Teaching future
GAL class.
5.) The needs of all
youth matter.

12. LGBTQA Youth in Care
Ohio Pride

13. Independent Living Preparation
OHIO YAB Secretary (Allen County)
Moving forward in 2014:
1. Statewide IL curriculum
2. Online Independent
Living Clearinghouse of
Resoruces
3. Compile and share youth
input about IL challenges,
Best Practices and
recommendations for the
future

14. OYAB Moving Forward in 2014:
Workforce
Promote Best Practices:
1. Connecting the Dots
2. Individual Development
Accounts (IDAs)
3. Overcoming barriers to
foster youth having a
savings account.