Junely Merwin

The teen mom in foster care who received a full ride scholarship to fulfill her dreams.💕#CSUF #TitansReachHigher

[Junely Merwin @merwinjayact]

@K_O_Sundberg From one single mom to another, I understand the toll. Congratulations to your son! Amazing job mama 👏🏽👏🏽

[Junely Merwin @merwinjayact]

Thank you @DevineNews for the feature. I got a shout out for pursuing my master’s degree and sharing the impact of @ASenseofHomeOrg this unique organization truly cares to go out their way to make foster youth feel special with the beautiful home creations.✨

[Christine Devine @DevineNews]

#NationalNonProfitDay Recognizing #ASenseOfHome Empowering youth who’ve experienced #fostercare get into their first time apartment, decorated and furnished to the max! 🏠

Work on preventing homelessness!
@ASenseofHomeOrg
🛏️🛋️🪞🪑🖼️🪴📚🍼

@FOXLA

https://t.co/3YAOTprGV0

[John Burton Advocates for Youth @JBAforYouth]

LA County is working to prioritize college enrollment among foster youth! With the help of JBAY's curriculum, @lacountydcfs will be training over 5,000 social workers on how to promote higher education among foster youth. Read more at https://t.co/7MzVnKIHSo

[Senator Angelique Ashby @SenatorAshby]

Today @GavinNewsom signed the budget.

Inside that budget are many things to be proud of, including my bill to make college debt free for foster youth in California - which is now funded state law.

Thank you to @ilike_mike, 22 other coauthors & our sponsor @JBAforYouth

[Junely Merwin @merwinjayact]

@SenatorAshby @GavinNewsom @ilike_mike @JBAforYouth @ScottWilkCA @isaacgbryan @SenToniAtkins @aishabbwahab @SenDaveCortese @MoniqueLimonCA @SenJohnLaird @AlvaradoGil2026 @Portantino @SenSusanEggman This is incredible news 👏🏽👏🏽

[John Burton Advocates for Youth @JBAforYouth]

Losing financial aid often means the end of a student’s higher education dream. JBAY is excited to co-sponsor #AB789 with @AsmMarcBerman to ensure that ALL students have the resources they need to succeed in college. Learn more and show your support here: https://t.co/QDIH0yuvyq.

[NFYI @NFYInstitute]

Thanks to @RepMarkTakano for joining us at the 2022 Congressional Foster Youth Shadow Day! Rep. Takano was one of the Members of Congress who hosted current and former foster youth for a day. Learn more about the time delegate Junely Merwin spent with him: https://t.co/kdCxD9Sunz

[NCYL Health @NCYLHealth]

#RHEP will release the first episode of #FosteringParenthood on September 1st! This #podcast provides stories and insight on how to support foster youth's healthy sexual development. Be sure to sign up for our newsletter on our website to receive updates! https://t.co/CW4bJrcCjF

[Junely Merwin @merwinjayact]

@jrobin525 Thank you so much

[Junely Merwin @merwinjayact]

Check out this post in relation to my advocacy for foster youth and my life story. 💙 #FosterCare #Advocacy

[FosterMore @FosterMore]

@merwinjayact entered foster care at 15 with her one-month-old son. Despite the challenges of being a teenage mother and youth in foster care, she graduated from California State University and is now an advocate for changes in foster care: https://t.co/BN4FqeR1Z5

[Cassie Semyon @casssemyon]

“I just hope to influence everybody who comes after me and those who are around me to advocate to share their voice because each and every one of them matters.”

Full story: https://t.co/Bwqa5RZMYU

[Junely Merwin @merwinjayact]

Thank you for featuring my life story and allowing me to bring awareness to teen parents in foster care at Capitol Hill. I spent 5 years in foster care with my son. I raised him the best I could. I want other teen parents in the system to have an easier road.

[Cassie Semyon @casssemyon]

When she was just 15, Junely Merwin entered the LA foster system with her one-month-old son. Merwin uses her own experience to advocate for other foster youth, most recently with @NFYInstitute during a visit to Capitol Hill.

[John Burton Advocates for Youth @JBAforYouth]

Thank you @SenJohnLaird for championing this historic investment in the state budget! Every foster youth attending a community college, CSU or UC will now have economic, academic, & social support.

Thank you @GavinNewsom and #CALeg for including this in the #CABudget!

[Christine Devine @DevineNews]

From #fostercare to youth advocate: Teen mom shares her remarkable journey.

#JunelyMerwin @merwinjayact just returned from @KarenBassLA congressional shadow day in Washington DC.

Her story on Fox 11 news In Depth(I filled in for @HalEisner) https://t.co/GPqHRnizSd

[Christine Devine @DevineNews]

#JunelyMerwin is a youth advocate who just returned from Karen Bass congressional shadow day in Washington DC. She was a teen mom when she entered #fostercare.

Fox 11 news In Depth
@foxla 9:30am
noon channel

Preview story also w @JBAforYouth

https://t.co/GPqHRnizSd

[Christine Devine @DevineNews]

She was a teen mom when she entered #fostercare at 15 yrs old. Now #JunelyMerwin ⁦@merwinjayact⁩ is a youth advocate who just returned from ⁦@KarenBassLA⁩ congressional shadow day in Washington DC.

Her story on Fox 11 news In Depth
@foxla 9:30am
noon channel 13

[Mark Takano @RepMarkTakano]

There are more than 420,000 youth in the foster care system. We must ensure that our nation's most vulnerable youth have the opportunities and support necessary to succeed.

Thank you to the Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth and @RepKarenBass for all the work they do.

[Junely Merwin @merwinjayact]

@malcolmkenyatta @NFYInstitute @KarenBassLA @drniiquartelai @malcolmkenyatta It was such a pleasure hearing you speak @NFYInstitute Shadow Day. You're heartfelt speech impacted everyone in that room.

[Junely Merwin @merwinjayact]

@BerronesLeroy Awww you're so sweet.

[Junely Merwin @merwinjayact]

Thank you for uplifting our voices and allowing us to share our lived foster care experience to help shape change in the U.S Foster Care System. This was an incredible lifetime experience I will always remember.
@RepKarenBass @NFYInstitute #BeyondResilient #NFYIShadowDay

[Congressmember Bass @RepKarenBass]

Every year, the Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth brings former foster youth to DC to shadow Members of Congress because no one knows more about the needs of our system than those who grew up in it.

Honored to welcome this delegation today.

Thank you for your courage.