Mary Saunders is a youth development professional and longtime advocate whose work supporting and advocating for foster youth spans more than two deca
Mary Saunders has spent more than two decades advocating for foster youth, beginning while she was in foster care herself and continuing throughout her professional career. For nearly 20 years, she has worked with transition-aged youth, specializing in supporting older foster youth and young people experiencing homelessness.
Her work includes partnering with community programs and initiatives to help shape frameworks that better reflect the needs of the young people they serve. Drawing from both lived experience and professional expertise, Mary is particularly passionate about ensuring foster youth have a voice in decisions that affect their lives.
She emphasizes helping young people learn to advocate for themselves, develop practical skills, and build the confidence and support needed to thrive after foster care.
Mary holds a master’s degree in Youth Development and continues to advocate for systems that not only serve young people, but actively listen to and empower them.
