Bowling Green woman recognized as 1 of 50 receiving FosterClub’s 2026 Outstanding Young Leader Award

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Skylar Thompson of Bowling Green has been named a recipient of FosterClub’s 2026 Outstanding Young Leader Award, one of 50 young advocates recognized nationally this year.

After seven years in foster care herself, Thompson now works as a licensing specialist at a foster care agency, where she helps open and train new foster homes.

Thompson is a member of the Congressional Leadership Academy, a National Foster Youth Institute policy training program, where she draws on her own experience to push for policy change. 

She recently spent a week in Washington, D.C., shadowing members of Congress and studying how legislation is made. 

During that week, she joined a small group that met with the First Lady and spoke with her staff about policies affecting young people in foster care.

“I just want more people to invest, whether it is becoming a foster parent, or its businesses allowing foster agencies to work with them, or it’s politicians voting on things to help foster kids. You know, I think in today’s society, things can get political very fast. But I don’t think foster care should ever be a party issue. It should always be nonpartisan,” said Thompson.

Thompson plans to continue building her career in foster care and to pursue a master’s degree, with the goal of becoming a director at a foster care agency. She intends to keep advocating for meaningful changes to the system along the way.