Passing the Baton: A New Chapter for Youth Leadership at Be Strong Families
For more than a decade, Be Strong Families has had the privilege of walking alongside the remarkable youth in care of Illinois. Together with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (IDCFS), youth leaders, caregivers, advocates, and countless partners, we have helped build a culture across Illinois in which youth voice is not simply heard—it helps shape policy, practice, and systems.
Beginning in 2017, through our partnership with IDCFS, Be Strong Families was entrusted with coordinating the Youth Advisory Board contract, building on the foundation established by youth leaders and expanding opportunities for youth voice across the state.
As our role coordinating Illinois Youth Advisory Board (YAB) activities comes to a close, we do so with immense gratitude and pride. This is not an ending, but a transition. We are honored to pass the baton to the next agency, confident that today’s youth leaders are prepared to continue leading with courage, wisdom, and vision.
A Decade of Innovation and Partnership
Over the past ten years, together with youth and our partners, we have learned what meaningful youth-adult partnership truly requires.
Together we have:
Facilitated hundreds of Regional and Statewide Youth Advisory Board meetings that were safe, productive, and increasingly youth-led. Over the course of our ten-year partnership, we convened approximately 480 Regional Youth Advisory Board meetings, 40 Statewide Youth Advisory Board meetings, and 10 statewide youth leadership retreats—creating thousands of opportunities for youth to learn, lead, advocate, and build community.
Collaborated with youth to develop the Illinois YAB identity, including its logo and public voice.
Reimagined statewide gatherings by replacing traditional chaperone models with Youth Engagement Workers who supported authentic leadership while promoting safety and belonging.
Structured meetings to maximize youth facilitation, decision-making, and ownership.
Partnered with ChildLaw Policy Institute and Legislation & Policy Clinic, Professor Anita Weinberg and her team at Loyola University Chicago to help youth ground their policy advocacy in research, understand existing legislation, and develop thoughtful strategies for advancing their priorities.
Prepared and coached youth to testify before legislators, serve on expert panels, and confidently share their lived experience.
Supported youth leadership that contributed to significant policy advancements, including the Hair Care Equity legislation and Normalcy initiatives. Youth also played an important role in advocating for replacing the term "wards of the state" with "youth in care"—a change in language that recognized the dignity, identity, and humanity of youth.
Developed curricula designed not simply for youth development, but for youth leadership.
Launched the Youth Advisory Affinity Groups (YAAG) in 2023, creating dedicated spaces where LGBTQ+ youth and Black, Indigenous, and other youth of color in care could build community, strengthen leadership skills, and ensure their lived experiences informed systems improvement.
These accomplishments belong first and foremost to the youth themselves. Our role has always been to create the conditions in which their leadership could flourish.
Looking Forward
The past decade has strengthened our conviction that youth leadership is one of the most powerful catalysts for systems change.
Having spent ten years doing the direct work, Be Strong Families is now uniquely positioned to share what we have learned with organizations across Illinois and the nation.
Going forward, we will focus on expanding our national training and technical assistance in youth leadership and youth-adult partnership. Our growing youth-focused division will support organizations through:
Youth leadership development
Youth-adult partnership training
#WoWTalk Cafés designed specifically for youth
Programs preparing youth in care for successful transition into adulthood
Two-generation approaches that strengthen families and reduce community gun violence
Curriculum development, coaching, and implementation support for agencies seeking authentic youth engagement
We believe every organization serving youth deserves practical tools for moving beyond token participation toward genuine shared leadership.
With Gratitude
We are deeply grateful to the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services for more than a decade of partnership, trust, and shared commitment to Illinois youth. We are especially proud of the collaborative relationship we built together, reflected in consistently receiving 100% marks on our monitoring visits and in the department’s thoughtful leadership and support throughout this transition.
Most of all, we thank the youth who trusted us with their stories, challenged us to do better, and continually reminded us what leadership looks like.
While our role is changing, our commitment is not.
Be Strong Families will always be an ally to the Illinois Youth Advisory Board and to youth in care whose voices deserve to shape the systems designed to serve them.
We look forward to this next chapter—sharing what we have learned so that even more organizations can cultivate strong youth leaders, authentic youth-adult partnerships, and communities where every young person knows their voice matters.
Article by: Kathryn Leigh Goetz