February 2025: Engaging the Voice of Lived Experts to Inform Complex Care

Complex care presents many challenges for youth, caregivers and providers that can impact outcomes for adolescents over the duration of their lives. The Youth Engagement Project shares experiences from a panel of lived experts about the difficulties they faced while in the child welfare system, as well as potential enhancements that can improve outcomes for youth still in care.   

Presenters: 

Margo Fudge is the program director for the Youth Engagement Project (YEP), a part of the Child and Family Policy Institute of California that provides capacity building at the local level to integrate the voice of youth and lived experts to improve the child welfare system. With over 27 years of child welfare expertise, she previously served as the deputy director for San Diego County's Department of Child and Family Well Being, with a focus on system improvement/integration, sibling connections and equity.

Ayaan Jones is the program associate for the Youth Engagement Project, acting as the liaison between the youth ambassador and counties they support. With over 12 years of experience working in the child welfare system and youth leadership development programs in Georgia, Tennessee and California, Jones was most recently an advocacy supervisor for the San Diego CASA program and program services coordinator with Georgia CASA, supporting staff and volunteers advocating for the best interests of children in foster care.   

Lauren Mendez is a lead ambassador for the Youth Engagement Project. She currently also works in Stanislaus County to support youth ages 13-24 who are in crisis. Mendez's lived expertise has included projects surrounding prevention planning, kin-ship care, complex needs/STRTP's, recruitment/retention of resource families and Independent Living Programs. 

Alexander Crossman is a seasoned foster youth contractor with 15 years of firsthand experience supporting vulnerable young individuals through various stages of their lives. He specializes in empowering transition age youth, probation youth, and group home residents during critical transitions. Crossman has developed impactful programs, including websites that connect foster youth with essential resources and mentorship initiatives pairing experienced mentors with youth in need. Additionally, he has served on boards of directors, leading fundraising efforts and managing dedicated teams to enhance the lives of foster youth. Passionate about fostering positive change, he is committed to helping foster youth realize their full potential and achieve personal and professional success.  

Sophia Jeffe is a lead ambassador for the Youth Engagement Project, providing expert feedback regarding educational outcomes for youth in care based on her lived expertise. She works with college-aged foster youth at the University of California, Santa Barbara and is pursuing her M.S.W. at the University of Southern California, with a focus on youth and families and system innovation.   

Chantel Palmer is a youth ambassador for the Youth Engagement Project who works closely with the County of Los Angeles to develop plans for current and upcoming foster youth in the program. Currently a senior at California State University-Dominguez Hills majoring in criminal justice, she hopes to attend law school to become a criminal defense attorney. She currently serves as a justice corp member at the Long Beach court to help with family and housing law, as well as restraining orders.  

Michael Jaydan is the youth ambassador for the Youth Engagement Project who supports the County of Stanislaus. He is passionate about helping foster youth and enhancing the foster care system, specifically for youth with disabilities and aims to equip individuals with the essential life skills to transition out of the foster care system. In addition to YEP, he is also the LINC/Nextup ambassador at Cerritos College, where he provides outreach services and engagement programming. 

Joseph Mariscal is a committed advocate for youth empowerment and community engagement, with extensive experience in system improvement and social support services. He currently works as a housing navigator for HOPICS in South Los Angeles, where he focuses on connecting individuals and families to stable housing solutions and resources. Previously, Mariscal served as a peer partner at Eggleston Youth Center, supporting youth in navigating challenges and achieving personal growth. He also worked with the National Foster Youth Institute (NFYI), contributing to national efforts to amplify the voices of foster youth and drive systemic reform. His work centers on equity, lived experience and creating pathways for underserved communities to thrive.