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The Mockingbird Society is Hiring

 
The Mockingbird Society, an innovative nonprofit dedicated to building a world class foster care system, is hiring. See the full listing of available positions.

The Mockingbird Society thanks the many qualified candidates who applied for our Youth LEAD Director position. The position has been filled. We wish all those who applied the very best in their job search.

The Mockingbird Society Announces new Youth LEAD Director.

Times Reporters Anthony Guess and Rico Evans 2005 Fundraiser.

The Mockingbird Society strives toward the vision of a world in which the intrinsic value of our most marginalized children will be both recognized and celebrated. As an organization, we are committed to advocacy, public education and system reform on behalf of the thousands of children and adolescents involved in the Child Welfare System. Children and adolescents who are placed in out-of-home care have quality of life outcomes that are well below their peers from intact families. Further, youth who are or have been placed in foster care are disproportionately likely to become involved in the chemical dependency, mental health and juvenile justice systems and are more than four times as likely to become homeless.

We Believe We Can Fly is the theme the Mockingbird Society has adopted since our beginning in August 2001. Since then, we have continued to expand and improve our programs to foster system change on multiple levels and provide marginalized youth with the chance to fly.


 

2008 Legislation

2008 ADVOCACY AGENDA

HB 3048: Legal Representation for Adolescents in Dependency Hearings

Establishing a pilot project in two regions, this bill would provide youth 12 and older an attorney for their Dependency Hearings. The program would be housed in the UW Children and Youth Advocacy Clinic (also known as CAYAC).

Although HB 3048 was passed out of the House Judiciary Committee it did not get scheduled for a hearing in the Appropriations Committee. Instead, due to the leadership of Rep Pat Lantz and Rep Roger Goodman $375,000 was put in the House budget to fund a one county pilot project providing legal representation to youth age 12 and older in the Dependency Hearing.

The House will take a final vote on the budget sometime between today (Friday 2/22/08) and Monday to adopt the budget. There is a great deal of maneuvering and politicking and in order to retain the money in the budget we need to get calls to House members TODAY!

Action:

  1. Contact your Representative and encourage them to retain the $375,000 directed toward Legal Representation to Youth in Foster Care. 1-800-562 6000 (legislative hotline)
  2. Contact Rep Helen Sommers (360) 786-7814 with the same message
  3. Contact Rep Hans Dunshee (360) 786-7804 with the same message
  4. Contact your Senator and ask them to "Match the House budget and ensure there is $385,000 in the Senate budget for Adequate Legal Representation for youth in foster care."

Call the legislative hot line at: 1-800-562-6000 and they will deliver the message to your Senator.

To find out who your Representative or Senator is go to www.leg.wa.gov.

It is critical to make "Thank you" calls to Representative Patricia Lantz at 360-786-7964 and Representative Roger Goodman at 360-786-7878 for sponsoring the bill. Jan. 25th, 2008 was the House Judiciary Committee Hearing on HB 3048.

Jan. 25th, 2008 was the first hearing on HB 3048 in the House Judiciary Committee Hearing on HB 3048.

Increase Safe Housing For Homeless Youth and Young Adults

  • SB 6843: Improve Access to HOPE Act Services

    SB 6843 has been amended onto ESSB 6792. There was a hearing in the House Early Learning Committee on Thursday 2/21/08. We are anticipating the bill to be passed out of committee.

  • Increase the Housing Trust Fund and THOR allotments

Get more information on our 2008 Advocacy Agenda (MS Word Document, HTML).
 

THANK YOU!

Thank you to each and every one of you who turned out in support of Legal Representation for Adolescents in Dependency Hearings and Housing for Homeless Youth & Young Adults. Our 5th Annual Youth Advocacy Day was a great success!

A special thank you to those who volunteered their time to make the event happen!

Youth Advocacy Day photos coming soon! See last year’s Youth Advocacy Day photos.
 

TOOLS, TIPS AND TALKING POINTS FOR LEGISLATIVE TESTIMONY

  • Legislative Testimony Outline (HTML)

 

Updates

In the News

Life After Foster Care, Jim Theofelis featured on KUOW’s The Weekday Show — 5/7/08

Foster kids in court system need a lawyer's services, Jim Theofelis, guest columnist, Seattle PI — 2/5/08

Foster Care: Worthy Legal Pilot, Seattle PI Editorial Board — 1/30/08

Mockingbird Family Model Project Evaluation Year Three Evaluation Report
by the University of Washington (January 2007)

View the latest evaluation of the Mockingbird Family Model compiled by the University of Washington Northwest Institute for Children and Families.


New Mockingbird Times Issue!

The May 2008 issue of the Mockingbird Times is online now!

View Archive of previous issues


Update!

ASK-Y Meeting Minutes have been brought up to date (through July 2007)!