Values of a Spiritual Advocate

As I continue to pursue a path supporting youth in foster care, there are some core values that are critical to ensuring that I am the best advocate that I can be. These values consist of being educated, using my voice and advocating, having empathy, holding a “Both – And” perspective, looking at the world through a relational lens and a duty to serve. These values are explained in detail below.

Education:

As an advocate for youth in foster care, it is important to be well educated and possess the knowledge that is needed to facilitate progress in the greatest capacity possible. is important to have proper education and stay informed in the field so critical thinking can be used effectively when speaking on behalf of the thousands of youth depending on “the system”. When I refer to education, I do not necessarily mean college degrees, but also staying well informed of the needs of the children we are advocating for and also stay up to date on recent developments within the foster system.

Advocating:

Children who are in foster care are the most vulnerable population of children in America. These youth are often left without any adult figures that continuously and compassionately care about their individual well being. As a former foster youth, I know firsthand how being in foster care can affect our both your physical and emotional well being. And because of my own experiences, as former child in foster care, I have develop a passion for having a voice that advocates for the children who are currently in foster care.

My own value of advocacy is shown through my work with becomingsir.com. I developed this website so that I can share my own experiences in foster care and how I used those experiences to motivate my success. My hopes is that my stories will shed light into the real experiences of a child in foster care. I also hope that my ability to succeed will motivate youth currently in foster care. My advocacy is also shown in my dedication to further research in the area of foster care and as well as working in the system as a professional.

Empathy:

As professionals, our clients may not make sense of the world looking through the same lens as we do. Empathy is important when working in the helping profession because with empathy we are able to adapt to our client’s lens, putting ourselves in their shoes, and provide them with services that best fit their needs. As advocates and professionals who are also former youth of forester care, we should hold empathy in highs regards. As professionals working directly with youth of foster care, we often can believe that we know what is best for the youth we advocating for without actually identifying where our children are coming from. I have seen the lack of empathy lead to resistance from the children as well as gridlock.

As I work with youth of foster care, I mindfully examine how my own personal experiences of foster care can influence how I interact with the youth that I am working with. I have developed the stance that my experience in foster care may be similar to that of the youth that I am working with but that our similar experiences may be interpreted differently because of our difference in perspectives. I take considerable time and effort in getting to understand the youth’s perspective; this is so that I can provide him/her with the encouragement that fits best for them.

Both – And:

Both – And is a perspective that someone holds which is the opposite of the either – or perspective. A both – and mindset sets the stage for the development of empathy. Professionals with both – and mentality recognize that multiple truths and realities exist. Functioning from this place, we are not so rigid in our stance and we allow space for other alternatives. This is not to say we totally disregard our values but we come to the realization that someone else’s values are just as important to them as ours are to us.

It is essential as an advocate to adapt a both – and perspective. I often find that my passion of advocating for youth in foster care causes me not to consider the relational impact of my actions. Therefore, as an advocate, I make efforts to notice when I am being solely guided by my emotions so that I can take a step back and recognize the dynamics that are going on within me. Once I can name this internal interaction then I can make an intentional effort to take into consideration the multiple truth/realities that exists and as result, I am able to make a sound decision in my advocacy efforts.

A Relational Lens:

As an advocate for youth in foster care having a relational outlook is of great importance. Someone with a relational outlook holds the belief that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. As advocates, it important that we advocate for change within the whole foster care system, so that we can ensure changes that will impact an entire population. However this is where holding a both-and perceptive exemplifies its importance.

Having a relational outlook in regards to advocating does not mean you either advocate for widespread change or advocate for the rights of each individual child you encounter but you do both- and. As much time as I spend advocating for improvements in the policies that govern the system, I strive to spend an equal amount of time and effort working with individual youth ensuring that they are getting their needs met. I believe that we often are caught up trying to change the “big picture” that we forget about those who are posing.

Service:

As in advocate for children in foster care you have a commitment to service. Service is much bigger than just volunteering; it’s volunteering with a cause. As advocates we are volunteering our time to ensure that are brothers and sisters in foster care are getting their needs met. As advocates we volunteer on committees, we share our stories at hearings on policies governing foster care, and we campaign on the behalf of thousands of children who have no voice.

Even though, this list only consists of six values, there are many more characteristics such as humility, compassion, trust etc. that we all hold as in advocate for youth in foster care. I hope that you would share with me what you value as an advocate.