Virtue Visionary Case Study #3
Youth-Led Systems Change Model in Hamilton County
Identifying Systemic Barriers to Educational Success for Youth in Foster Care
Problem
Youth in foster care frequently experience disruptions in education, limited access to supportive services, and systems that are not fully equipped to respond to trauma and instability.
Despite policies intended to support students in foster care, many young people report barriers such as school instability, lack of understanding from educators, and limited access to mental health resources.
These challenges often go unexamined in ways that meaningfully incorporate the lived experiences of youth themselves.
Youth Collaboration
To better understand these barriers, Youth Advisory Board leadership partnered with researcher Catelyn (Catie) Smeyne, Ph.D., Research Director at Trauma Free World and Adjunct Professor of Psychology at the University of Cincinnati.
Jay Brown hosted and co-organized a youth focus group event funded by the University of Cincinnati designed to capture the educational experiences of young people with foster care backgrounds.
Participants included:
• 11 youth and alumni with lived experience in foster care
• Youth Advisory Board leadership facilitating the discussion
Youth participants shared firsthand perspectives on how education systems interact with foster care placements, trauma, and service access.
Systems Assessment
Through facilitated discussion and analysis, the research identified six major systemic barriers affecting foster youth educational outcomes, including:
• Limited trauma awareness within school environments
• Insufficient social and emotional support for students in care
• Instability caused by placement and school changes
• Lack of meaningful inclusion of youth voice in educational decision-making
• Unmet basic needs affecting school engagement
• Limited access to mental health resources and support services
The findings reflected patterns youth consistently observed while navigating school systems during foster care placements.
Intended System Influence
The findings from this research was shared with the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce contributing to conversations on Ohio’s K-12 Foster Care Liaisons so school districts can more effectively support students with foster care experience.
The goal of the research was to inform improvements in:
• trauma-informed school practices
• stability supports for students in care
• educational accountability for foster youth outcomes
Outcome
This initiative created a structured opportunity for youth to contribute directly to education system analysis and improvement efforts.
By partnering with an academic researcher and organizing youth participation, the project helped translate lived experience into research-informed insights capable of guiding system improvements in education.
Role of Youth Governance
Youth leadership played a key role in:
• organizing and hosting the research event
• recruiting youth participants with lived experience
• facilitating discussions between youth and researchers
• helping translate lived experience into system-level insights