08/30/2026
Onslow's SaySo chapter's event, Rooted in Compassion, a youth-led foster parent conference was truly youth led from start to finish. The youth took ownership of planning the event by reaching out to community partners, securing the venue and food donations, serving as emcees, and facilitating the breakout sessions and panel discussion.
Thank you to the incredible SRAs, Mya, Tiny, and others who played a vital role in the conference by facilitating breakout sessions on teens in foster care, trauma-informed parenting, and transitions in foster care. They also participated in the closing panel discussion, where they openly shared their experiences and insights.
We welcomed foster parents from across the region who came to hear directly from youth about their lived experiences in foster care. Every young person demonstrated tremendous courage and vulnerability as they shared their stories, helping foster parents gain a deeper understanding of how they can better support the youth in their care.
The feedback from attendees was overwhelmingly positive. Many foster parents approached us afterward to express how impactful the conference was, sharing that they had never attended anything like it before. Several said they hope this becomes an annual event.
This conference also allowed the chapter to accomplish one of its 2026 goals: educating foster parents about the lived experiences of youth in foster care through the voices of those who have experienced it firsthand.
We could not be more proud of these young leaders and the meaningful impact they made on everyone in attendance.
