When it comes to finding fault, there’s never a shortage of people lining up to point fingers and lay blame on failing child welfare systems. The state agency didn’t do enough to protect a child. Inadequate supports are provided to … Continue reading
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Recently, a faculty member providing oversight to a mental health program in higher education told me that many of her students had mental health ‘issues’ themselves. It’s a phenomenon known by many in the helping professions–people gravitate towards careers in … Continue reading
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I’ll preface my comments by saying that I’ve done ALMOST everything there is to do in child welfare. I’ve been a caseworker, a residential youth worker, a supervisor, a manager, a trainer, a foster parent, a CASA volunteer, a consultant, … Continue reading
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Outraged, saddened, disappointed: these all describe my reaction to a news story I recently read. The headlines tipped me off that this was not going to leave me feeling optimistic about our society’s interest in caring for our most vulnerable. … Continue reading
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The headline reads, “Brown signs bill to allow children more than two legal parents“. While the bill may have been targeted at same-sex couples, my thoughts immediately went a slightly different direction. After more than two decades of working in … Continue reading
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A news story regarding abuse recently resulted in thousands of dollars in donations. The abuse was against a dog. The community was appropriately outraged when pictures and details of the abuse were aired by local television stations. The community responded … Continue reading
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Last week the Governor of Florida signed into law HB 215: “Normalcy Bill”, otherwise known as the “Let Kids Be Kids” bill. This bill deserves a HUGE shout-out for demonstrating insight into the everyday challenges children and youth face growing … Continue reading
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For weeks now, media outlets have been abuzz with talk about the Super Bowl. Even people who are not fans of football will watch, if only for the billion dollar commercials or the half-time show. It’s a big deal, not … Continue reading
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A blog post titled “10 Things Foster Parents Wish Their Case Managers Knew” was published by a blogger named Mike Berry a few weeks ago. The list included some excellent reminders of the challenges faced by foster parents. As I … Continue reading
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For lovers of lists who also have an interest in foster care, this is my “Ultimate List of Opportunities” to get involved in helping vulnerable children and families. They are separated by general categories but as you no doubt will … Continue reading
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