Three young Nebraskans used their lived experience and research to present policy recommendations to state leaders during Legislative Days 2026, part of a statewide effort to address youth homelessness.
Dez Fisher, Jeni Fry and Jiromi Corona, members of the Statewide Youth Action Board on Homelessness, traveled with Angela Gebhardt, youth lived experience coordinator at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Center on Children, Families, and the Law, to Carol Joy Holling Camp in Ashland for the annual event.
Legislative Days, hosted by the Nebraska Children and Families Foundation, is a three-day education and advocacy event that brings together young leaders with lived experience in child welfare, juvenile justice or homelessness to engage in the political process. Youth leaders from the foundation’s Youth Advisory Board and Connected Youth Initiative partners also attended this year.
During the event, participants learned about the Nebraska legislative process, voting and advocacy, and developed solution-focused dialogue on issues they care about. On the final day, youth leaders presented their positions on current bills in the Nebraska Legislature.
Fisher, Fry and Corona — representing the Youth Action Boards in southwest Nebraska, southeast Nebraska and the City of Lincoln — worked with Jacey Deplanty, a child welfare youth fellow with Nebraska Appleseed, to develop their position on a bill affecting their community.
In just 27 hours, the group drew on research, evidence-based practices, data from Nebraska’s homelessness continuums of care, and their lived experience to draft a presentation. On Feb. 2, they delivered their recommendations to Nebraska senators, legislative aides and the governor.
In addition to presenting, the youth toured the Nebraska State Capitol, met with a Nebraska Supreme Court justice and engaged with members of the Lincoln City Council. Fisher was selected as one of two youth leaders to emcee the luncheon portion of the event. For all three, it was the first time visiting the Capitol or using their lived experience to engage directly with Nebraska policymakers.
The three young adults are among seven statewide leaders serving on the Statewide Youth Action Board on Homelessness, part of the Nebraska Youth Homelessness System Improvement Project led by the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Center on Children, Families and the Law. The center received a $1.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in late 2024 to support the project.
The initiative is a collaboration with the City of Lincoln, Threshold (Omaha-Metro area), Balance of State Continuums of Care, and the Ponca and Winnebago tribes of Nebraska. It works to streamline identification and services for youth experiencing or at risk of homelessness, making it easier for them to access support across the state. The program also supports the creation of Youth Action Boards through statewide engagement and relationship-building with young people.
This effort complements the Nebraska Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program, which the center has led since 2018. As the lead agency for both projects, the center is spearheading cross-system work and integrating authentic youth lived experience into policies to achieve meaningful system change.
Members of the Statewide Youth Action Board have developed a 2026 priority agenda to guide their work. The agenda highlights actionable priorities, including ensuring transportation access for young adults; expanding transitional programming and education for independent living and employment; reducing stigma around homelessness; addressing housing affordability and eviction risks; and increasing interagency communication with youth-centered coordination.
Board members provide invaluable guidance to Nebraska’s three continuums of care. They collaborate with service professionals to increase youth engagement and develop solutions to homelessness across the lifespan. The lived-experience perspective they bring informs programs, policy development and advocacy at the local, regional and state level.
Gebhardt and the team expressed pride in Fisher, Fry and Corona’s work and dedication during Legislative Days 2026, thanking them for serving on the Statewide Youth Action Board and using their voices to advocate for others.
