Dear Mockingbird Advocates,

Our young advocates have been on fire! We're excited to recap their work at our 2025 Youth Advocacy Day and share our latest news, including ways to get involved. 

On February 13th, 170 people gathered for our 2025 Youth Advocacy Day in Olympia, including 49 Mockingbird Chapter Members and young advocates with lived experience from across Washington. 

Featured speakers included:

• Young people from across the state sharing their advocacy efforts around our two lead legislative agenda items: Extended Foster Care and supporting the statewide expansion of MOCKINGBIRD FAMILY™.
• Po Leapai from the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance, sharing House Bill 1217/SB 5222, a Mockingbird support agenda items focused on rent stabilization.
• Emily Pico, a foster carer sharing her experiences as a MOCKINGBIRD FAMILY™ Hub Home.
• Secretary Tana Senn, the new director of the Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF).

During Youth Advocacy Day, young people led 36 different meetings with Legislators and their staff! This is what advocacy in action and amplifying the voices of lived experience experts looks like.

Mockingbird's crew gathered in the Capitol rotunda for a silent rally to show support and solidarity for the young people most impacted by the harmful rhetoric coming from our federal government and take a stand for the rights of LGBT+, BIPOC, immigrant, and refugee young people. 

The day closed with a community gathering... complete with music and dance performances from The Bridge Music Project, as well as poetry, art, and music from Mockingbird's young advocates.

Youth Advocacy Day 2025 was an incredible success thanks to our young people, community partners, allies, and supporters. We are grateful for the individuals and organizations who made this day possible!

This Legislative Session is continuing, and here are some updates regarding our lead agenda item:

Senate Bill 5082: Creating a housing assistance program for young people enrolled in Extended Foster Care (EFC)

We knew from the start of this session that the successful passage of our bill would be an uphill battle, particularly because of the state's significant $13 billion budget deficit. Because of the obstacles we faced this session, as well as our intentional decisions not to make concessions that could jeopardize the intention of the bill, SB 5082 did not make it into the Ways and Means Committee, and will not be passed this session. However, the community support for this bill and the powerful testimonies shared by young people throughout session demonstrated its importance, and has positioned us well for future advocacy around EFC. 

Looking ahead, we already plan to bring this bill back in the 2026 Legislative Session. In the words of our Public Policy & Advocacy Director, Charles Smith, "This is not the end-- it is part of the journey toward ensuring young people in Extended Foster Care receive the housing stability they deserve."

Read the full update on SB 5082, learn more about bill, or hear the amazing testimonies from our young people throughout this session at the links below: 

MOCKINGBIRD FAMILY™ has officially launched in Santa Clara, California!

The MOCKINGBIRD FAMILY™ team recently supported some amazing partners in Santa Clara County with launching their first constellation. (Below is a photo of their first MOCKINGBIRD FAMILY™ gathering.)

We're thrilled to see these partners building lasting connections and communities of mutual support for young people, families, and foster caregivers!

Want to support the movement? Your legislative district may be hosting a town hall:

Many legislative districts are holding town halls to hear from constituents in the coming weeks. Attend to learn about your legislators' priorities, ask questions, and connect with your community. Find your district and any town halls you can attend using the links below!

Thank you, as always, for your support! If you have questions or would like to get in touch with us, please reply to this email. 

In Community,

The Mockingbird Society