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The Fostering Youth Success Alliance (FYSA) Director is a resourceful and highly skilled professional who is able to lead a large-scale statewide coalition focused on the needs of youth in foster care. This is a contract-based position. The FYSA Director reports to the Director of Public Policy and will be responsible for developing and implementing a strategic policy and research based legislative agenda; managing statewide coalition members; advocating for coalition priorities at the state, city and federal levels; organizing and training student advocates; and supervising the day-to-day operations of the alliance.

Launched in December 2013, The Fostering Youth Success Alliance, housed within the Office of Public Policy at Children’s Aid, is a statewide alliance that is working to improve the socioeconomic, health, housing, and educational outcomes for youth in care and aging out of care in New York State by collaboratively advocating for effective policies. The director will supervise a policy assistant and also support the child welfare policy and advocacy strategy priorities on behalf of Children’s Aid at the city, state, and federal levels.

Through strategic advocacy coordination, critical legislative analysis, and quality research, the Fostering Youth Success Alliance Director will play an integral role in the Office of Public Policy to ensure that youth in and aging out of foster care can reach their fullest potential.

Responsibilities:
Advocacy
Coordinate the day-to-day management and operations of FYSA, including monthly steering committee and working group meetings.
Engage lead advocates and stakeholders in meetings, events, and activities related to budget, legislative, or policy issues.
Recruit and train youth advocates to represent the interests of the coalition.
In partnership with the Assistant Director of Public Policy, support the implementation of an engagement strategy to ensure youth advocates can participate in FYSA’s budget, legislative, and policy agenda in meaningful ways.
Develop materials that will aid in educating and mobilizing staff, volunteers, parents, and youth on key budget, legislative and policy issues (i.e. written testimonies, letter writing, marketing and communication plan, social media campaigns etc.).
Plan events to engage youth with a foster care background and advocates to highlight the needs of foster youth and time-sensitive issues.
Cultivate and maintain relationships with government agencies and legislators on behalf of FYSA and Children’s Aid.

Policy & Legislative Analysis
Track and analyze budget, legislative, and policy updates relevant to FYSA and Children’s Aid, including pertinent city, state, and federal hearings, budget information, and advocacy alerts related to child welfare.
Actively develop and facilitate the strategic direction, policy and legislative agenda for FYSA in collaboration with the steering committee.

Research and Writing
Contribute to the thought leadership in the child welfare space by supporting research and identification of solutions for budgetary, legislative or regulatory issues.
Author and/or organize materials including language for budget and legislative testimonies, letters of support, briefing materials for Children’s Aid leadership, and other FYSA mobilization activities.
Lead content development for related donor proposals, deliverables, and reports; manage FYSA budget.

Supervisory
Management and oversight of policy assistant, consultants, youth advocates and interns.