Illinois Statewide Youth Advisory Board

The Statewide Youth Advisory Board (SYAB) is committed to creating a caring and supportive environment for all youth in care regardless of race, citizenship status, sex, national origin, ancestry, language, disability, religion, or authentic self to the SYAB as we work to educate, advocate for and empower youth in care across Illinois.

Group of 6 teenagers wearing colorful jackets and smiling
Statewide Youth Advisory Board logo

The SYAB Mission

To educate, advocate for, and empower all youth in care. The Statewide and Regional DCFS Youth Advisory Board were established in 1994 by the Illinois Legislature.

What is the Statewide Youth Advisory Board (SYAB)?

Be Strong Families, on behalf of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (IDCFS ), supports the convening and maintenance of a Statewide Youth Advisory Board (SYAB) and regional youth advisory boards (RYAB) in the Cook, Central, Southern, and Northern regions of the state. Created by statute for youth in the child welfare system to have the opportunity to collectively address systemic issues, the SYAB and RYAB have been advising IDCFS since 1994. Be Strong Families has been coordinating the boards and ensuring the implementation of this statute since 2017.

The Opportunity

The Statewide Youth Advisory Boards offer current and former youth in care ages 14-21 the powerful opportunity to:

  • Come together to educate, advocate for, and empower all youth in care

  • Make lifelong friends

  • Develop leadership skills

  • Boost mental, physical, and emotional well-being

  • Earn money for involvement

  • Enhance résumés and make scholarship and college dreams come true

Program Highlights

  • 4 Regional Advisory Boards (RYAB) meet monthly in person: Cook, Northern, Southern, and Central

  • 2 Youth Advisory Affinity Groups (YAAG) give voice to diversity, equity, and inclusion issues:

    • The Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) YAAG

    • Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual + (LGBTQIA+) YAAG. Allies are also welcome to attend. 

  • RYAB Officers are elected and serve on Statewide Youth Advisory Board (SYAB)

  • SYAB meets quarterly in-person for a weekend gathering at a hotel

  • Transportation and a meal provided at all meetings

  • Fun and meaningful activities throughout the year

SYAB Accomplishments

  • The haircare bill, HB 5097, advanced significantly thanks to the IDCFS Youth Advisory Board and their adult partners, ensuring foster youth can maintain their cultural identity and mental health through proper hair care.  (2024)

  • Provided Illinois Children’s Mental Health Partnership with recommendations to address youth mental wellness. (2022)

  • Developed Guardian Ad Litem (GAL) flyer, as required by SB 755, to serve as a resource for youth entering care. (2022)

  • Convened four Youth Advisory Affinity Group meetings as a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) effort. (2021/2022)

  • Gov Pritzker signs SB 755, GAL Bill, into law. (2021)

  • Senate Bill 1743 States DCFS, FCAA, and the Youth Advisory Board are to develop and process a standardized survey to gather feedback from children aging out of care. (2020)

  • 3 YAB members were awarded the DCFS scholarship for Illinois post-secondary education. (2020)

  • Collaborated with Heartland Alliance to develop an online toolkit to assist youth in care transition into independent living. (2020)

  • Called for a review of Rule 384, DCFS enacted a work group. (2019/2020)

  • Youth provided testimony for the “Children of Incarcerated Parents” bill, which was ultimately passed by the Illinois General Assembly. (2019)

  • Administered the Youth Experience of Care Surveys within residential agencies. (2018)

  • Advised re: updated DCFS Children’s Guide to Foster Care. (2017)

  • Legislative Hearing on Residential Care. (2015)

  • Public Act 98-0806 establishes the Youth Advisory Boards as a legislative mandate. (2014)

Get Involved

  • Apply to join an RYAB

    The first step for current and former youth in care, ages 14-21 who want to get involved with SYAB is to join a Regional Youth Advisory Board. RYAB members meet monthly in Cook, Northern, Southern, and Central Illinois counties.

    Download RYAB Application

  • Apply to join a YAAG

    Youth Advisory Affinity Groups give voice to diversity, equity, and inclusion issues for the following communities: The Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) YAAG, and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual + (LGBTQIA+) YAAG

    Download YAAG Application

  • Stay in the know

    Subscribe to our SYAB email list for program updates including accomplishments, news, and upcoming events.

    Subscribe for updates

Resource Library

  • Thumbnail of poster with smiling teen and "Elevate Your Influence" headline for the SYAB

    Recruitment Poster for Youth

    Download and print our 9x12-inch poster to help recruit youth to get involved with the Statewide Youth Advisory Boards.

    Download PDF
  • Thumbnail for poster with multiple photos of smiling teenagers and the headline "Unlock Their Potential"

    Recruitment Poster for Care & Service Providers

    Download and print our 9x12-inch poster for care and service providers to help identify and encourage youth candidates to join Regional Youth Advisory Board or Youth Advisory Affinity Group.

    Download PDF
  • Thumbnail image of half-fold brochure with "Elevate Your Influence" on the cover page

    Recruitment Brochure for Youth & Caregivers

    Download our 4.25x5.5-inch folded brochure to help recruit youth to get involved with the Statewide Youth Advisory Boards.

    Download PDF

  • Informational Brochure for Care & Service Providers

    Download our trifold brochure for care and service providers to help identify and encourage youth candidates to join Regional Youth Advisory Board or Youth Advisory Affinity Group.

    Download PDF
Contact Us For More Info

Current Youth Advisory Board Initiatives

  • Achieving Permanency Quickly

  • Strengthening Youth Contact with Caseworkers

  • Strengthening Sibling Contact

  • Youth Advisory Affinity Groups (YAAG)

YAAG:

In partnership with the DCFS Director’s office, the Office of Education & Transition Services, the Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and the Statewide Youth Advisory Board, Be Strong Families has the honor of co-creating several youth advisory boards as a part of DCFS’ larger DEI initiative. The Youth Advisory Affinity Groups offers youth in care the opportunity to share their voice, perspective, and experiences in order to advocate and support an environment for all youth in care regardless of race, color, sex, national origin, ancestry, language, handicap/disability, religion, or authentic self as a part of their mission to educate, advocate for and empower youth in care across Illinois. The Youth Advisory Affinity Groups have been formed to give voice to the diversity, equity, and inclusion issues that Illinois youth in care experience statewide through support, education, coaching, and advocacy.

YAAG Youth Ambassadors identify the greatest challenges for youth in care related to racial and gender bias, disparity, and equity and propose recommendations and produce an annual collaborative project for systems improvement promote diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Youth ambassadors have opportunities monthly to participate in DEI and advocacy trainings to prepare them for their leadership on the YAAG. The following are the current YAAG groups:

  • The Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) YAAG

  • Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual + (LGBTQIA+) YAAG