Who can apply?
- Applicants must have spent at least 12 consecutive months or at least 20 total months in the US foster-care system, be willing to draw on that experience for policy advocacy and show strong interest in improving federal child-welfare policy.
- By May 31, 2027, applicants must have completed at least four semesters at an accredited college, university or vocational school. They must be pursuing a credential immediately before the internship or have earned one within roughly the prior year.
- Participants must complete the entire remote onboarding from February 1 through May 28 and the full-time Washington program from May 31 through July 23, including required evening or weekend events. Late arrival and early departure are not allowed.
This is a two-stage application. December 2 is not an alternative first deadline: applicants must submit part one by November 1 and be invited forward.
Dates, pay & program timing
Applications opened August 15, 2026. Part one is reviewed on a rolling basis and is due November 1; qualified applicants are invited to part two, with complete applications and both recommendations due December 2, 2026. The 2027 program pays a monthly stipend during remote preparation and a weekly stipend in Washington, but the official instructions do not publish the amounts. CCAI covers Washington housing, travel to and from Washington and transit to the congressional office; participants cover some smaller expenses.
These details reflect the sources at the review date. An overview is not a live job offer. Check the official page for today's application status and the selected opening's written terms.
How to apply to Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute
- Read the full 2027 instructions and confirm every lived-experience, education and availability rule before completing part one. Submit it early enough to leave time for the invitation-only second stage.
- For part one, prepare the one-page PDF resume and five short responses. If invited to part two, add a current transcript, two recommendations, scenario responses and the researched policy essay in the exact formats specified.
- Submit part one by November 1 and, if invited, the complete second stage by December 2. Track both recommendation forms yourself and keep CCAI's confirmation email.
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How to prepare a stronger application
The policy essay must connect lived experience to one legislative change, include supporting research and use APA citations. Choose a focused federal barrier you can analyze in four pages; a narrower, evidenced recommendation is stronger than attempting to redesign the entire child-welfare system.
CCAI is nonpartisan and may place an intern in an office with different political views. Prepare to explain how you would work respectfully across disagreement while keeping the needs of children and families central. The response must be your own work: the 2027 instructions prohibit plagiarism, including AI-generated application writing.
Your preparation, on this device
Make it a plan.
Checking an item saves this program. These are planning prompts, not a substitute for the employer's full requirements.
Add a stage & next actionCongressional Coalition on Adoption Institute: questions before applying
Who is the CCAI Foster Youth Internship for?
It is for students and recent graduates who meet the specified time-in-US-foster-care rule and want to work on federal child-welfare policy and advocacy.
Does CCAI pay interns?
CCAI publishes monthly and weekly stipends and covers major housing and transportation expenses, but the 2027 instructions do not state the stipend amounts.
Is the entire program in Washington?
No. It begins with remote preparation from February through May, followed by eight full-time weeks in Washington from May 31 through July 23.
Official sources & update notes
We reviewed these publisher pages on . They establish the program facts above; our preparation suggestions are independent editorial guidance.
- Official open status, program structure, stipends, covered expenses and Washington placement
- 2027 eligibility, dates, two-stage deadlines, documents, recommendations and essay rules
We do not infer deadlines, remote eligibility, or guaranteed offers from older recruiting cycles. Read our editorial process.