Michael was accepted into the 2017 Foster Youth Internship Program® in Washington, D.C. This is a highly esteemed, life-changing youth empowerment program for young adults who have spent their formative years in foster care, offering them the opportunity to intern in a Congressional office for a summer. As part of the program, Michael will attend retreats, seminars, advocacy trainings and networking events with experts in the child welfare field, in addition interning in a Congressional office. Throughout the summer, Michael will spend time researching policy issues affecting foster children across the country. Michael will write a policy report that is published and presented at both a Congressional briefing and a briefing to the White House Domestic Policy Council, as well as disseminated across the country to child welfare advocates. As a result of the program, federal policymakers are shown firsthand the real-life experiences of youth growing up in foster care, and they take action to improve legislation of the U. S. foster care system. CCAI provides full service, wrap-around care throughout the internship. However, Michael will need the essential housing supplies.