Tagged With "Family Voices United"
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New Book: Torn Apart by Dorothy Roberts
Torn Apart: How the Child Welfare System Destroys Black Families--and How Abolition Can Build a Safer World by Dorothy Roberts will be released on April 5, 2022. An award-winning scholar exposes the foundational racism of the "child welfare system" and calls for radical change. Many believe the "child welfare" system protects children from abuse. But as Torn Apart uncovers, this system is designed to punish Black families. Drawing on decades of research, legal scholar and sociologist Dorothy...
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New York Lawyers Acknowledge Child Welfare’s Harsh Impact on Black Families, Call for Changes [imprintnews.org]
By Megan Conn and Michael Fitzgerald, Photo: Hiram Alejandro Durán, The Imprint, April 4, 2022 T he bar association representing tens of thousands of New York attorneys has taken a first-ever stance against racism in the child welfare system, endorsing specific calls for change that include revising decades-old federal laws. The New York State Bar Association resolution , approved Saturday, acknowledges the harms the American child welfare system has visited disproportionately on Black...
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Five myths about the child welfare system [washingtonpost.com]
By Dorothy Roberts, Photo: iStock, The Washington Post, April 15, 2022 The U.S. Children’s Bureau describes the child welfare system as “a group of services designed to promote the well-being of children by ensuring safety, achieving permanency, and strengthening families.” But developments like Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s recent instructions to state agencies to investigate gender-affirming medical care as possible child abuse have helped to shatter the system’s benevolent veneer. Many people...
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Reconnecting Family Ties for Children and Youth in Foster Care
Written by the Capacity Building Center for States "Reconnecting with and strengthening my relationships with family has always been an important part of finding my identity and sense of belonging. However, this power comes with a different set of unexpected challenges. Family events can often be stressful as we struggle with how to treat one another. It is difficult to have healthy relationships because we did not have the opportunity to learn how to do this when we were younger."— Aleks...
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Support and Resources for Expectant and Parenting Young People in Foster Care [familyvoicesunited.org]
Original article can be found on Children's Bureau Express here . Family Voices United published a report featuring a summary of responses from youth with lived foster care experience to the question "What supports should be provided to maintain stable foster care placements for expectant and parenting youth, or to support them in achieving safe reunification with relatives/loved ones?" Policymakers can use this report to better understand constituents and tailor programs and systems to...
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Building Protective Factors With Parent Partners [Children's Trust Fund Alliance]
An infographic for parents and parent groups from the Children's Trust Fund Alliance highlights the importance of protective factors in strengthening families. It provides a colorful and engaging look at how parents and families can thrive by building protective factors through everyday actions. It also introduces two of the parent groups with whom the Alliance works and outlines some of the available resources focused on building protective factors and developing effective parent...
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The Power of Co-Opting: Language Is Changing, But Will It Change the Status Quo? [upendmovement.org]
By Joanna Lack, Alan Dettlaff, and Kristen Weber, UpEND, April 7, 2022 Language is powerful. The words we use signal how we make sense of the world – and people – around us. When we use the term “people of color,” it signals that we have defined diversity against a standard of Whiteness. When we describe people as “disadvantaged,” we diminish the fullness of their humanity and de-emphasize the unjust systems that shape those words. And when we call a system that surveils, regulates,...
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The Impact of COVID-19 on Reunification for Child Welfare-Involved Families
Original post by Children's Bureau Express COVID-19 has been a source of disruption and stress for families and systems and has significantly changed the way child welfare operates in its day-to-day business. At the start of the pandemic, many courts and child welfare agencies suspended or reduced in-person family time, which is a critical part of the reunification process and has several benefits to attachment and well-being. Family time also provides an opportunity for child welfare...
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Alignment Between Early Childhood and Child Welfare Systems Benefits Children and Families [childtrends.org]
By Elizabeth Jordan, Sharon Vandivere, and Esther Gross, Child Trends, June 7, 2022 Both the early childhood and child welfare systems are investing in promising new ways to support families with young children, particularly as they strive to recover from the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and strive to become more equitable. Families with young children have faced a set of unique challenges during the pandemic, as already fragile child care centers and family-based child care have...
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Relationships as a Support for Reunification
Written by the Capacity Building Center for States, published by Children's Bureau Express Original post available here . When the difficult decision is made that removal is necessary to ensure a child's safety, reunification—as quickly and safely as possible—is the primary goal. Family reunification is more likely and more successful when child welfare supports are rooted in authentic relationships and focused on building family strengths. As agencies continue striving to improve their...
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Training Module Focuses on Substance Use Among Pregnant and Parenting Families [cfffutures.org]
A four-part training, Tribal Family Wellness Plan Learning Modules , developed by the Quality Improvement Center for Collaborative Community Court Teams in collaboration with the Tribal Law and Policy Institute , provides guidance for tribal child welfare providers about implementing programs and practices that reduce the impact of substance use on pregnant and parenting families. The goals of the module include reducing the impact of substance use on pregnant and parenting families,...
Ask the Community
(TRMBW™) Trauma Responsive Mind-Body Wellness Training
Hello everyone, I am the founder of Rituals for Recovery a non-profit organization in Ontario Canada who is commited to combating complex trauma and the stigma and suffering that results from it. We are getting ready to launch our fall programming and trauma responsive mind body wellness training and are looking for clinicans, social workers and helping professionals working with children and families in the foster care system (particularly those who offer free services for at-risk families...
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Strengthening Families with Infants and Toddlers: A Policy Framework for States [zeroththree.org
Strengthening Families with Infants and Toddlers: A Policy Framework for States , is a new report from ZERO TO THREE designed to reframe the role of child welfare from preventing harm to children toward strengthening families and the communities where they live. The policy framework includes 11 recommendations for states and communities that aim to advance equitable outcomes supporting the health and well-being of very young children and their families, including those who are in or are at...
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Investing in Families Prevents Child Welfare Involvement [cssp.org]
To truly take an anti-racist approach to prevention, child welfare and safety net policies must address the organizational structures and injustices contributing to and perpetuating underlying economic and concrete needs of children and families. This brief from the Center for the Study of Social Policy, updated in July 2022, highlights policies that can make a significant impact for children and families when implemented as part of a multi-pronged approach to supporting the needs of...
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New LGBTQ Youth and Family Resources: Culturally-relevant information supports parents in caring for LGBTQ children and youth [risemagazine.org]
By Keyna Franklin and Shakira Paige, Rise Magazine, August 5, 2022 Parents need resources to support LGBTQ children and youth in being affirmed, safe and celebrated in their homes, schools and communities. In our report, An Unavoidable System , Rise recommends expanding access to community-based programs that center the needs of families with LGBTQ children — without family policing system involvement. Here, Rise talks with Caitlin Ryan , Director of the Family Acceptance Project at the...
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Centering Parent Leadership in the Movement to Abolish Family Policing [journals.library.columbia.edu]
This Rise paper was published online in the Columbia Journal of Race and Law Vol. 12, No. 1 (2022) . The expertise and leadership of parents and youth with lived experience of family policing belong at the center of the movement to abolish the system, just as Black folk are centered in Black Lives Matter. Those personally impacted and affected by a system should be the lead and face of advocacy, using their first-hand experience to lead the movement in the direction they choose based on...
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National Federation of Families 2022 Conference: Families Can't Wait (Nov. 3-5, 2022)
The only national conference dedicated solely to supporting families whose children - of any age - experience mental health and or substance use challenges during their lifetime. Did you know that 1 in 5 children in America experiences social, emotional and behavioral and/or substance use challenges? One undisputed constant in our society is that all children who survive childhood and adolescence will become adults. For children and youth who experience untreated behavioral health and...
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Register NOW for Flourishing Families, Centering Justice: Policy solutions for prevention-focused, trauma-informed supports for children and families on 11/1
The California Campaign to Counter Childhood Adversity (4CA) invites you to join us for a discussion on Flourishing Families, Centering Justice: Policy Solutions for Prevention-focused, Trauma-informed Supports for Children and Families . This webinar will explore trauma-informed primary, secondary, and tertiary approaches to supporting struggling families and keeping them together. Our expert panelists will: Reframe our understanding of neglect Provide a brief overview of historical and...
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Connect Our Kids [connectourkids.org]
Connect Our Kids' technology platform enhances the most successful family search and engagement programs in the country. Child welfare professionals use their technology tools to dramatically scale up their family search and engagement efforts and to ensure work is perfectly documented, organized, and reports are easily shared. Connect Our Kids' technology tools offer a strong foundation to meet legal requirements and quickly identify relatives of a child in the government's custody. Learn...
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Inside Massachusetts’ Family Separation Disaster [motherjones.com]
By Julia Lurie, Mother Jones, September 26, 2022 When Bryan Hickson and Patricia Soto found out they were going to have a baby, the thrilled couple jumped into action. They watched YouTube videos about parenting, prepared healthy meals, and, since they planned to stay in their separate places to start, bought cribs and baby clothes for each of their homes. When Soto went in for ultrasounds, Hickson FaceTimed in from the warehouse where he works as a supervisor. When Soto went into labor, he...
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Register NOW for Flourishing Families, Centering Justice: Policy solutions for prevention-focused, trauma-informed supports for children and families on 11/1
The California Campaign to Counter Childhood Adversity (4CA) invites you to join us for a discussion on Flourishing Families, Centering Justice: Policy Solutions for Prevention-focused, Trauma-informed Supports for Children and Families . This webinar will explore trauma-informed primary, secondary, and tertiary approaches to supporting struggling families and keeping them together. Our expert panelists will: Reframe our understanding of neglect Provide a brief overview of historical and...
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Freedom to Dream: A Future without Family Policing (How We endUP 2022 Convening) October 17-18
The How We endUP Convening is a two-day virtual gathering of advocates, activists, researchers, policymakers, and leaders from different communities, agencies, and efforts coming together to explore how we can move toward abolition of family policing--how we can dismantle harmful, racist systems and build different ways of caring for one another. Featured speakers are Angela Davis, Joyce McMillan, and Mariame Kaba. Join in discussions that expose racism in how families are surveilled and...
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National Family Caregivers Month: Caring for the Caregivers Virtual Summit 2022 Getting UNStuck: Moving From Languishing to Flourishing
Courage to Caregivers will host its third annual Caring for Caregivers Virtual Summit on Wednesday, November 16, and Thursday, November 17, 2022, from 9 am to 12:30 pm ET as part of National Family Caregivers Month. This year’s theme is Getting UNStuck: Moving From Languishing to Flourishing. The event is free for licensed professional caregivers and anyone providing care to a loved one with mental illness. All are welcome to attend one or both days. CEUs are provided for Ohio professionals.
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Trauma-informed Design Evaluation Tool for K-12 Schools Is Here!
The Trauma-informed Design Society is pleased to announce the new TiDEvalK12 tool ! This tool is the first of its kind--an evidence-based tool to facilitate interior design renovations and new builds of K-12 schools! It can be used to evaluate the physical space and identify changes that can lower the stress levels of students and staff. The tool is grounded in the Substance and Mental Health Services Administrations' guidance for a trauma-informed approach, the Trauma-informed Design (TiD)...
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Flourishing Families, Centering Justice: Policy solutions for prevention-focused, trauma-informed supports for children and families (Webinar recording now available!)
Over 130 people gathered on November 1, 2022, to learn more about how to create a system that supports child and family well-being during the 4CA Flourishing Families, Centering Justice webinar. The event focused on trauma-informed primary, secondary, and tertiary policy approaches to support struggling families and keep them together. The webinar began with a brief overview of historical and current policies that have contributed to racism, inequity, and family separation in the United...
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Safe Harbor Child Access Centers by Ellie Santiago
Safe Harbor was originally created by a man who struggled with finding a suitable location for supervised visits with his own child. At the time, the system was not favorable towards fathers, and he saw an opportunity to provide support to other fathers in similar situations. Amid his situation, he created Safe Harbor and used it as an outlet to connect other children with their parents providing a safe and fun place to enjoy time together. Carol Dvoor, President/Director, grew up in...
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New Rise Series: The Intersection of Family Policing and Domestic and Intimate Partner Violence [risemagazine.org]
By Rise, November 1, 2022 At Rise, the vast majority of parents impacted by the family policing system are Black and brown women who are survivors of domestic violence (DV), intimate partner violence (IPV) and/or sexual violence. Every year, many—if not most—parents in our Rise & Shine Parent Leadership Program write about and/or discuss experiences of domestic violence, sexual abuse and/or intimate partner violence in connection to their experience with the family policing system , a...
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Jeoff Gordon sees PACEs science, PACEs Connection playing a vital role in ‘relieving some of the most anguishing pain in our society.’
Note: PACEs Connection is in dire financial straits. We are asking for support, from you, our 57,586 members, to help cover the loss of foundation funding that was promised and did not come through. Pay and hours have been cut for our staff—most of us will be laid off for the month of December. Another grant will pick up in January, but we will still be underfunded. Since sounding the alarm this summer, we’ve raised about $26,000 . Thankfully, about 25% of new donors are making monthly...
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Re-Imagining Children's Rights Through a Family-Centred Lens
Every child has a right to a life free from harm within a community that supports them and their family to thrive. But does every child get to experience these rights? https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/re-imagining-childrens-rights-through-a-family-centred-lens-tickets-465184939677 Join Starlings Community and their partners at Family Advocacy Support Centre , as they recognize National Child Day in a special webinar that will inspire a society that supports children to experience their rights...
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We Know Investing In Families Works. Why Are We Still Investing in Harm? [upendmovement.org]
By Joanna Lack & Bill Bettencourt, upEND, November 15, 2022 A key tenet of abolition is the recognition that carceral systems are not broken; no amount of reform can fix them. Yet time and again, family policing systems push forward the same reforms – a maddening demonstration that the more things change, the more they stay the same . The pandemic, and now endemic, have placed the family policing system under additional stress. Like always, children and families trapped in its carceral...
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How much would the NAS poverty reduction packages reduce referrals to CPS and foster care placements? Would they reduce racial disproportionality in child welfare? (nasonline.org).
Because of a collaboration with Columbia University and UW-Madison, we have answers to these questions. By Peter Peter Pecora, Casey Family Programs, March 17, 2023 - Overview The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) recently released a “ roadmap ” to reduce child poverty by as much as half through the implementation of a series of social policy packages. The aim of this study was to simulate the reductions in Child Protective Services (CPS) involvement and foster care placements that are...
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PACEs Research Corner — May 2023, Part 2
[Editor's note: Dr. Harise Stein at Stanford University edits a web site — abuseresearch.info — that focuses on the effects of abuse, and includes research articles on PACEs. Every month, she posts the summaries of the abstracts and links to research articles that address only ACEs, PCEs and PACEs. Thank you, Harise!! — Rafael Maravilla] Domestic Violence – Effects on Children Makris G, Eleftheriades A, Pervanidou P. Early Life Stress, Hormones, and Neurodevelopmental Disorders. Horm Res...
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A Balanced View on Mandated Reporting versus Family Supporting
Viewpoint July 31, 2023 Seeking a Balanced View of Child Protective Services Howard Dubowitz, MD, MS 1 ; Richard P. Barth, PhD, MSW 1 Author Affiliations Article Information JAMA Pediatr. 2023;177(10):991-992. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2023.2578 A s professionals working closely with child protective services (CPS) for many years, we are well aware of its shortcomings, particularly undertrained and overwhelmed staff who may inadequately protect children and serve families as mandated by...
Comment
Re: The Carceral Logic of the Family Policing System (upendmovement.org)
Young parents find it challenging to cope with the new reality, especially if they lack financial support. Some of them resort to breaking the law in an attempt to provide for their family. After college, I want to work with such individuals and teach them to stay within the bounds of the law. Jurisprudence is not easy for me, but with the help for students from https://essays.edubirdie.com/law-essay-writing I strive to move forward and achieve my goals. Unfortunately, carceral logic is also...
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Building Resilience is a Team Effort that Starts Early
“YES!” was the response of Gaile Osborne, executive director of Foster Family Alliance of North Carolina (FFANC), when asked for input on a new program to help foster and kinship care families learn how to support the brain development of young children. “I love these Brain Insights materials. How soon can we start?” said Osborne upon receiving the "The First 60 Days ” booklet on myths about newborns and their caregivers and the eight “ Neuro-Nurturing ” ringed books. The materials delivered...