The Wyoming Foster Care Youth & Alumni Policy Council  (WPC)

The Wyoming Foster Care Youth & Alumni Policy Council (WPC) will consist of 10–15 members from across the State of Wyoming, reflecting a broad range of diversity encompassing, but not limited to, ethnicity, geographic location, religion, gender, and individual child welfare experiences.

Nate Williams will serve as the primary individual responsible for connecting with foster care youth and alumni across Wyoming and helping encourage eligible young people to apply for membership on the Wyoming Council.

APPLICATION & SELECTION PROCESS

Prospective Council members will be invited to complete an official Google Forms application. The application will provide an opportunity for applicants to share their foster care experiences, leadership experience, interest in child welfare policy, and their vision for improving the foster care system in Wyoming.

After the application period closes, the Volunteer Director of the Wyoming Foster Care Youth & Alumni Policy Council (WPC Director), together with representatives from all three partner organizations, will review the applications and jointly select 10–15 individuals to serve on the Council.

The selection process will seek to ensure that the Council represents youth and alumni from different geographic areas, backgrounds, and foster care experiences throughout Wyoming.

Selected applicants will be notified and provided with information regarding their term of service, expectations, meetings, and responsibilities.

MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENTS

Council members will be between the ages of 18 and 26 at the start of their service. All members must:

• Have personal experience in the foster care system, including out-of-home placements, foster homes, kinship placements, shelters, residential facilities, or other forms of out-of-home care.

• Demonstrate an interest in or capacity for leadership involving child welfare policy, advocacy, or youth engagement.

• Be willing and able to participate in Council meetings, activities, workgroups, and statewide initiatives.

• Demonstrate responsibility, self-drive, professionalism, and the ability to work independently with minimal supervision.

• Be willing to collaborate respectfully with other Council members, youth, alumni, organizations, and child welfare stakeholders.

• Provide any required permissions related to travel, photography, or participation when applicable.

• Be able to commit to attending the Council's monthly meetings, quarterly Council meetings, and any additional meetings scheduled to discuss, develop, or finalize Council recommendations, policies, or initiatives.

MEMBER COMMITMENT

Every Council member will be required to sign a Council Member Agreement/Contract outlining their responsibilities, expectations, term of service, professional conduct, confidentiality requirements, meeting attendance expectations, and commitment to supporting programs, policies, and initiatives that improve the future of foster care children and youth in Wyoming.

Council members will be expected to:

• Attend and actively participate in monthly Council meetings.

• Attend and actively participate in all quarterly Council meetings.

• Attend additional meetings, workgroups, or sessions that are scheduled specifically to discuss, develop, review, or finalize Council recommendations and policy proposals.

• Collaborate with other Council members and partner organizations.

• Participate in Council activities, projects, and workgroups.

• Provide input on policies, programs, and services affecting foster youth and alumni.

• Share their lived experiences and perspectives to help identify challenges and develop solutions.

• Serve as ambassadors for the Council and its priorities within their communities.

• Maintain professional and respectful conduct throughout their term of service.

• Actively contribute to efforts designed to improve outcomes for children and youth involved in Wyoming's foster care system.

• Communicate with the WPC Director when they are unable to attend a required meeting or Council activity.

Attendance and active participation are considered an important part of Council membership. Members are expected to make every reasonable effort to attend all required monthly and quarterly meetings, as well as additional meetings related to Council recommendations and initiatives.

WPC DIRECTOR & LEAD ORGANIZATION

If Threads of Hope serves as the lead organization for the Wyoming Foster Care Youth & Alumni Policy Council, Threads of Hope will appoint a Volunteer Director of WPC. The WPC Director will work alongside Threads of Hope staff and coordinate volunteer efforts in partnership with the organization and the other participating partner organizations.

The WPC Director will also assist with the Council's application and membership process, including coordinating the Google Forms application, communicating with applicants, organizing the application review process, and working jointly with all three organizations to select the final 10–15 Council members.

The WPC Director will coordinate the Council's monthly meetings, quarterly meetings, and additional meetings related to recommendations, policy development, workgroups, and Council initiatives. The Director will also help ensure members receive appropriate notice of meetings and understand their attendance and participation responsibilities.

The WPC Director and the three partner organizations will work collaboratively to ensure the Council remains youth-led, representative of Wyoming's foster care community, and focused on meaningful policy and system improvements.

The Wyoming Foster Care Youth & Alumni Policy Council (WPC) will be youth-led and youth-governed. Once the 10–15 Council members have been selected, the Council will elect from among its members a Council President and Council Vice President. The President and Vice President, together with the remaining Council members, will make up the governing body of the Council and will be responsible for leading Council discussions, developing recommendations, identifying priorities, and ensuring that the voices and lived experiences of Wyoming foster care youth and alumni remain at the center of the Council's work.

The WPC Director will serve in an administrative and oversight role rather than as the leader of the Council's youth membership. The Director will function in a role similar to an Executive Director, providing organizational coordination, administrative support, meeting coordination, communication, project management, and support to the President, Vice President, and Council members. The Director will help oversee the day-to-day operations of the Council, assist with implementing Council-approved activities and recommendations, coordinate with the three partner organizations, and help ensure that Council members have the resources and support necessary to fulfill their responsibilities.

The WPC Director will not replace or override the elected youth leadership of the Council. The Council President, Vice President, and Council members will remain responsible for the Council's youth-led discussions, recommendations, priorities, and collective decisions. The Director's responsibility is to support, coordinate, and oversee the Council's operations while ensuring that the Council's work remains consistent with its mission and established organizational agreements.

If Threads of Hope serves as the lead organization, the WPC Director will report to the Executive Director of the lead organization, Jillian Reagan, and work directly alongside the Deputy Director, Nathaniel Williams, as part of the organization's leadership structure. The WPC Director will maintain regular communication with the lead organization's Executive Director and Deputy Director regarding Council operations, administrative matters, organizational requirements, and implementation of Council activities.

This structure is intended to create a clear distinction between youth leadership and organizational oversight: the Council members lead the Council, while the WPC Director provides executive-level administrative oversight and support, reporting to the leadership of the designated lead organization.