In this episode, host Valerie Frost speaks with Demarco Mott, a passionate youth leader and advocate from Miami who has spent years fighting racial disparities in child welfare and school systems. Demarco is the Chair of the Citrus Family Care Network Youth Advisory Council. His leadership journey began with his own experiences of exclusion and othering, moments that fueled his commitment to build spaces where youth voices are not only heard but drive change.

Demarco shares stories from organizing youth councils, navigating resistance from agencies and schools, and partnering with supportive adults who stand with youth unconditionally. He discusses the critical shift Miami has made by moving away from traditional language to directly confronting child welfare disparities and how youth leadership is reshaping local systems and policies.

Listeners will hear about the real impact of youth-led advocacy, the importance of community-rooted strategies, and the lessons Demarco has learned about resilience, inclusion, and collective power. This episode highlights how youth voice matters not just as a buzzword but as a catalyst for equity and justice.

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Here are some additional resources Demarco would like to share with you. 

• Transitioning Youth — Citrus Family Care Network
• April 2025 - Happy Highlights.pdf - Google Drive
• 2019-2024 Citrus FCN Impact Report (1).pdf - Google Drive

We appreciate you spreading awareness by sharing this episode with your friends, family, and colleagues who care about family well-being.

Please email us if you want to connect with the creative team or find out how to engage with the family well-being movement. [email protected]