; Whereas likewise, as youth serve in leadership roles, they can take pride in their stewardship and the work of others whom they have lead; Whereas these benefits are especially meaningful for youth from communities that have been historically excluded from leadership roles, including youth of color, Native youth, LGBTQ+ youth, youth from religious minorities, poor youth, youth with disabilities, and youth in foster care; Whereas the youth in the aforementioned groups represent hundreds of thousands of perspectives that are critically needed in policy and other discussions about their present situations but also their future; Whereas in the context of child welfare, authentic youth engagement is an approach that prioritizes elevating youth to be leaders in shaping their lives and directing their futures alongside the adults in their communities and the child welfare workforce; Whereas for example, there are 407,000 youth in foster care on any given day, many of whom could benefit from efforts to develop and empower them to be leaders; Whereas child welfare experts agree that implementing authentic youth engagement for the purposes of case planning, court processes, and the implementation of youth advisory boards is a best practice that can lead to markedly better outcomes for youth within the child welfare system as well as positive systems changes overall; Whereas, as stated in the academic article, The Need to Study Leadership in Adolescents, that despite the benefits of youth leadership, the subject is critically understudied ; Whereas conducting further empirical research on youth leadership would yield immediate application and benefits for policymakers, educators, child welfare professionals, parents, and employers, and youths themselves; and Whereas we support designating February 2024 as National Youth Leadership Month to uplift current youth leaders, encourage future youth leaders, and, support those empowering youth leaders: Now, therefore, be it