Child welfare advocates gathered at the Idaho State Capitol on Tuesday to spotlight the needs of children in foster care as lawmakers weigh legislation that could directly impact youth in the system.Idaho Voices for Children and several nonprofit partners hosted the annual Foster Care Awareness Day during the legislative session, bringing current and former foster youth, providers, and community members face-to-face with policymakers. WATCH: Discover the mission driving foster care advocacy across Idaho. Idaho foster care advocates push for change at Capitol awareness dayGov. Scott Bedke issued a formal proclamation recognizing the day."The governor of Idaho hereby proclaims February 18, 2026, to be Foster Care Awareness Day in Idaho," Bedke said.The event, now in its eighth year, was created to ensure children and youth are part of policy conversations that shape the foster care system, advocates said.Local therapist Terry Scraggins, who entered foster care at age 13 after living in kinship care, shared his personal experience navigating the system. "What I experienced in foster care uncertainty, instability, and emotional adaptation it mirrors [the] experiences of many young people in care," Scraggins said.Scraggins said access to consistent mental health support was critical in his journey. He has been in and out of therapy since childhood and said that without those services, his trajectory would have looked much different.He emphasized that brain development continues into a person's mid-20s, and how communities support youth during that time can shape long-term outcomes."When we think about how we can best support children and families in particular, it takes a village, and I think that that's something that I'm learning more and more about," Scraggins added. Scraggins said the demand for mental health services particularly for foster youth, youth of color, and LGBTQ+ youth continues to grow as Idaho's population increases. While he said progress has been made, he added that the state still faces a shortage of providers.Christine Tiddens, executive director of Idaho Voices for Children, said the awareness day is intentionally held during the legislative session to connect lawmakers with those directly impacted by foster care."Too often children are not the priority in policy conversations," lamented Tiddens.Tiddens said thousands of Idaho children are impacted by foster care each year and that improving outcomes starts with listening to their experiences."These kids are under the care of the state of Idaho, and there are so many opportunities that we can do better, but in order to do better, we have to listen to the voices of the children," Tiddens said. This year's event comes as lawmakers consider multiple child welfare bills.Among them is House Bill 558, which has passed the Idaho House and is now before the Senate. The legislation aims to prevent the state from retaining a deceased parent's Social Security benefits and instead ensure those funds are preserved for the child when they age out of foster care. Tiddens pointed to the creation of Idaho's extended foster care program as one of the state's recent policy successes. Established in 2021 and later expanded to allow participation up to age 23, the program allows young adults to continue receiving housing and support services as they transition into adulthood. About 100 youth are currently enrolled, she said.With more than 2,100 children in foster care in Idaho last year, advocates said raising awareness remains critical not only during a designated day at the Capitol, but throughout the year as legislation moves forward.Tiddens encouraged community members affected by foster care to connect with their lawmakers and share their stories, saying sustained dialogue can lead to stronger policies and better outcomes for youth.This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been, in part, converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. ...read more read less