See Us Now launches national Blue Out for missing foster youth

Student-led nonprofit See Us Now is urging Americans to wear blue Thursday, Sept. 24, as 94 landmarks in 46 states light up for National Blue Out Day during Missing and Trafficked Foster Children Awareness Week. The campaign aims to spotlight foster youth who go missing, trafficking risks and the shortage of safe placements.

Why it matters: - More than 20,000 foster children go missing every year in the U.S. - Sixty percent of minor sex trafficking survivors were exploited while in foster care. - Severe placement shortages can leave foster youth in hotels, offices and cars. - The campaign is designed to push foster care reform and bring attention to children at highest risk.

What happened: - Student-led nonprofit See Us Now is calling for a nationwide Blue Out on Thursday, Sept. 24. - The effort is part of National Missing and Trafficked Foster Children Awareness Week, which runs Sept. 20-26. - Ninety-four landmarks across 46 states are set to turn blue in support of the campaign. - Cities from Tampa, Florida, to San Francisco, California, are participating.

The details: - See Us Now was founded by students after they learned foster youth were being placed in temporary settings such as offices and cars. - The group says its advocates have walked more than 10 million miles in Washington, D.C., for foster children. - The organization has earned the Presidential Volunteer Service Award medal twice. - The campaign asks media outlets, including news anchors, meteorologists and reporters, to wear blue on air Thursday. - Students, businesses, faith leaders and families are being urged to wear blue, share awareness resources and join the movement. - Charissa Wagner, founder of See Us Now, said the campaign is an urgent call to action and that foster care should be a place of healing, not harm. - The awareness week asks Americans to make at least one commitment: foster or adopt, mentor or volunteer, donate or advocate, support a local foster family, or wear blue on Sept. 24. - Participants are also encouraged to share posts using #BlueOut, #SeeUsNow and #StepUpDoSomething. - The organization directs people to take action and learn more at seeusnowusa.org. - A B-roll media package for air on Sept. 24 is available here. - See Us Now also lists social channels on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok and X.

Between the lines: - The campaign is using visible landmarks and media participation to turn a child-welfare issue into a public-awareness moment. - The focus on missing foster youth and trafficking risk signals an effort to link awareness with direct action, not just sympathy. - The student-led framing gives the campaign grassroots credibility and helps position foster youth advocacy as a sustained movement rather than a one-day event.

What's next: - Blue lights are expected to go on Thursday as communities, schools and media outlets join the effort. - See Us Now is pushing Americans to convert awareness into concrete support for foster youth during the week and beyond. - The organization will continue its annual Blue Out and National Missing and Trafficked Foster Children Awareness Week campaigns.

The bottom line: - See Us Now wants Sept. 24 to become a national show of support for foster youth who are missing, trafficked or left in unsafe placements.