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Foster Youth Internship Program®

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Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute’s (CCAI) Foster Youth Internship (FYI) Program® is a competitive national internship for students and recent graduates with lived experience in foster care who are interested in federal policy and advocacy. Participants write a federal child welfare policy report and are placed in the Washington, D.C. legislative offices of Members of the U.S. Congress. The 2024 Foster Youth Internship Program® includes both a (1) remote three-month preparatory onboarding from March 1 - May 27 (predominantly independent curriculum, approx. 10-15 hrs/mo. or 30-45 hours total) and an (2) in-person, full-time internship in Washington, D.C. for seven weeks from May 28 - July 10. The participant MUST be available for and commit to the entirety of the program (both the remote preparatory and in-person) to qualify.

Applications are now OPEN for the 2024 Foster Youth Internship Program®!

Interested applicants are strongly encouraged to fully read the 2024 Foster Youth Internship Program® Application Information + Instructions before working on their application as it includes important information about the program, eligibility requirements, and application details. Before applying, please confirm you meet all of the eligibility requirements. It is also recommended applicants write their responses in a separate document - to revise, revisit, and edit - before logging on to complete and submit the online application. 

To be considered as an applicant for the 2024 Foster Youth Internship (FYI) Program®, you must complete both parts of the application in their entirety. Completed applications (part one, part two, and both letters of recommendation) must be received by CCAI no later than December 4, 2023.

Application Outline & Timeline

The 2024 Foster Youth Internship (FYI) Program® application consists of two parts. Part one of the application is available via online form here and will be accepted until November 13, 2023. Part one of the application assesses eligibility, interest, and qualification and should take an estimated 30 to 60 minutes to complete. On a regular and rolling basis, part one applications will be reviewed thoroughly. Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit a part one application sooner than later within the deadline window to maximize potential time for part two.

Part one applicants with proven eligibility and adequate interest and qualification will be invited via email to complete part two of the application. Part two applicants will be notified on a rolling basis, no later than November 17, and have until December 4, 2023 to submit a full application to CCAI. Part two of the application accesses specific legislative interests, writing ability, and references and should take an estimated two to three hours to complete. During this stage, CCAI will also schedule a brief phone call with the prospective applicant to answer any questions and provide a platform to learn more about both the applicant and CCAI/FYI Program.

When CCAI receives a completed application in its entirety (both parts one and two), CCAI will send a confirmation email to the applicant within two business days. Applicants will be notified the evening of January 10, 2024 whether the selection committee has chosen to move forward with their application. The next step in the application process will be an interview via Zoom. Interviews will only be conducted with the top 20 applicants during the week of January 15-19, 2024. The 2024 class of Foster Youth Interns will be notified by January 31, 2024 of their acceptance into the program.

Part 1 via online form:

  • General information 
  • Résumé (upload)
  • Short response questions

Part 2 via invitation:

Recommendations

Each application needs two recommendations - one professional and one personal. Your recommenders are asked to complete an online recommendation form which includes some skill evaluations as well as an upload for a letter of recommendation. All recommendation forms are due by December 4, 2023 and it is the applicant's responsibility to both (1) send the online recommendation form link to each recommender and communicate the deadline and (2) confirm with their recommenders if their recommendation has been submitted to CCAI. Allow plenty of time for the recommenders to write the letter, as well as time to follow up with them directly. 

Selection Process

Applicants will be notified the evening of January 10, 2024 whether the selection committee has chosen to move forward with their application. The next step in the application process will be an interview via Zoom. Interviews will only be conducted with the top 20 applicants during January 15-19, 2024. The 2024 class of Foster Youth Internship Program® will be notified by January 31, 2024 of their acceptance into the program.

2024 Foster Youth Internship Program® Application Schedule Summary

  • October 6, 2023: Applications open
  • November 13, 2023: Part one applications due
  • November 17, 2023: Last day to receive part two invitation
  • December 4, 2023: Complete applications due (including letters of recommendation)
  • January 10, 2024: Notification of application status
  • January 15-19, 2024: Interview period for selected applicants
  • January 31, 2024: 2024 class selected

Important Application Links