Jasmine Washburn

06/10/2026

Nothing about us without us —> For far too many years I fear we have had the wrong people speaking on the behalf of youth. I would love to see more platforms that are youth centered.

06/10/2026

Pretty quickly into my experience in the NYS foster care system I was told I was far too troubled for any parent to want me and they threw me into group homes. That decision to this day still confuses me, I may have had expected struggle adjusting to my new normal after being removed from my home, but I wasn’t troubled. That “troubled” behavior came out more when I lived in group home environments. Teens shouldn’t be institutionalized due to the lack of homes. There are over 300k kids in the foster care system nation wide and less than 150k homes to house youth. This gap in demand forces many youth into the walls of group homes, even when they deserved a loving home.

06/09/2026

When I was just seventeen I won my first award for my writing about my experience entering foster care and dealing with loss.

06/07/2026

06/07/2026

A reminder to never stop networking. You never know when a coworker will turn into a lifelong friend, a mentor, or someone who opens a door to your next opportunity. The connections you make today can have a bigger impact than you ever expect. ✨

06/02/2026

Let’s talk about the harms of stigma on teens in foster care. 💙🎗️

05/30/2026

A reminder that you can make it out of the system 💯💙

05/26/2026

‼️💡READ CAPTION💡‼️

All because they should’ve mediated the problems going on in the home. But nobody addressed it, ever. They would wait till a fight like this would break out at 1AM and we would all get in trouble. A lot of the staff would feed into it, not all but a few. Telling us other kids business, turning us against each other, or even talking about them in front of us. Which led to so much chaos that could’ve been avoided. 💔

05/23/2026

I was so excited to give this speech at UAlbany’s Foster Care Awareness Event this year. Having the opportunity to speak to the youth and their staff meant a lot and I hope I was able to inspire a few people in the room.