We create the magazine for two reasons: First, after a dozen years of publishing Represent we realize that youth in care almost always maintain some kind of connection with their parents. Supporting parents helps to ensure that those continuing relationships will be as positive and supportive as possible. Second, New York City's child welfare system now serves more families in preventive services than in foster care itself. Thousands of parents are struggling to keep their children. Parent-to-parent communication can help them learn to accept help and keep their families intact.

Analyzing the Child Welfare Transformation in New York City and Its Impact on Teens
Between 1985 and 1995, New York City's child welfare system tripled in size, to nearly 50,000 youth in care. By 2005 it shrinks back to about 18,000 children. The city moves aggressively to replace group homes with family foster homes, which has a particularly big impact on teens. Nora McCarthy analyzes the pros and cons of cutting group homes in "Changing the Rules." (Child Welfare Watch, Volume 10, p. 25). Please click here to read.

Represent writer Antwuan Garcia gives a teen perspective on child welfare changes, alongside new NYC child welfare commissioner John Mattingly at a forum sponsored by Child Welfare Watch.

Youth Communication Editor Launches Youth Media Reporter
www.ymreporter.org
Managing Editor Kendra Hurley founds and edits the Youth Media Reporter website, funded by the Open Society Institute. The website is designed to be an online magazine and clearinghouse of articles and ideas for people who work in the youth media field. Articles include:

"Social Work 101," in which Kendra writes about the challenges of guiding young people through often painful personal narratives. Please click here to read.

"Flipping the Script," by Nora
McCarthy about how she works with teens to get to the root of their story and help them improve their writing skills. Please click here to read.

Two New Editors
Hope Vanderberg and Sheila Feeney join NYC and Represent as associate editors.
Hope comes from Medscape/WebMD and Sheila comes from more than 20 years working on daily papers, including the New York Daily News.

Hope Vanderberg	Sheila Feeney

Represent magazine reports on gay youth in care, building friendships, the impact of closing group homes in New York City, food and nutrition, drugs, and how to succeed in school. The magazine also includes special sections on jobs, college, "countdown to independence," and other transition-to-adulthood topics.

New Youth Connections' coverage includes the war in Iraq, food and nutrition, and family relations. The New York Times begins printing the magazine, pro bono, which will allow us to reach more readers.

Represent wins Judges Award from Educational Press Association

Represent is one of five finalists for the Golden Lamp, awarded to the best educational magazine in the country by the Association of Educational Publishers. Though Represent does not win the Golden Lamp, it is awarded the special (and rarely given) Judge's Award for general excellence.

Booklet Project Keeps Growing

We continue our efforts to find new audiences for our teens' stories by publishing and marketing short anthologies on important topics. We add 13 new anthologies of teen writing, for a total of 63. New topics include fathers, AIDS prevention, Arab and Muslim youth, and the relationship between teens in foster care and their birth families.

Loretta Chan

We hire former NYC writer Loretta Chan as our first marketing director. She will be responsible for increasing our sales through direct mail, the web, conventions, and other efforts.

Daniella Anderson

Daniella Anderson, former Represent writer, is featured in the PBS documentary "Aging Out"

Oscar-nominee Roger Weisberg portrays the struggle and Daniella and her husband, Veasna Rin Hover to find stability after leaving foster care. Daniella speaks about her experience at foster care conferences across the country.

Giselle John Featured in On Their Own. Former Represent writer Giselle John is featured in On Their Own, a book about the challenges of surviving after foster care. She describes her experiences on the Brian Lehrer (WNYC) and at foster care conferences.

Youth Communication wins three journalism awards from the National Mental Health Association

Nora McCarthy	Shannel Walker	Pauline Gordon

—"Rape in the Family: Two Sisters Break Their Silence," Represent stories about managing the trauma of rape, win in the category for national magazines with circulation under 1 million.

—"On the Razor's Edge," a New Youth Connections story about a young woman's struggle with cutting, wins in the best Local/Regional magazine category.

—"Living With Ghosts," a series of four stories in Represent magazine by Shannel Walker, Chriss Barker and Pauline Gordon about mentally ill family members, is the winner for best student investigative journalism.

Fighting the Monster Wins Best Young Adult Book Award

Fighting the Monster, Youth Communication's book about teens and mental illness, wins the award for best young adult book aimed at a specialized audience in the 2005 competition sponsored by the Association of Educational Publishers.

Should Teens Be Adopted?

Represent writer Tabitha Kozakiewicz talks about her decision not to be adopted on National Public Radio with Noah Adams. Meanwhile, several other Represent writers complete successful adoptions (including Eric Greene and Natasha Santos, below).

Four Represent writers participate in a Connect for Kids Forum

Represent writers Eric Greene, Miguel Ayala, Natasha Santos and Jarel Melendez talked with more than 1,000 people at a Connect for Kids web forum about the connection (and disconnect) between foster care policies and their experiences as youth in the system.

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