How we transformed the foster care system in our community | Ray Deck III | TEDxWWU

TEDx Talks

27 Jun 201614:38

EducationalLearning

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TLDRThe script narrates the challenges faced by foster parents, particularly the scarcity of foster homes leading to overburdened caregivers. It details the establishment of 'Skookum Kids,' a volunteer-driven initiative that addresses the '72-hour problem' by providing temporary care for new foster children, allowing social workers time to find suitable homes. The story highlights the transformation in the foster care system, increasing the number of homes and keeping sibling groups intact, emphasizing the power of curiosity and persistent questioning to drive change.

Takeaways

😔 The foster care system is under immense pressure with a lack of available homes leading to overburdened foster parents.
🏠 The speaker's personal experience highlights the challenges of balancing the care of biological and foster children, especially in emergency situations.
👦👧 The importance of keeping sibling groups together in foster care is emphasized, as it is rare for them to be placed in a single home.
🆘 The '72-hour problem' refers to the urgent need for temporary placements while social workers search for a suitable long-term foster home.
🏘️ The innovative solution of a volunteer-staffed facility was adopted to provide temporary care for new foster children, easing the immediate pressure on foster homes.
🌱 The organization 'Skookum Kids' was founded to address the foster care crisis, with 'Skookum' meaning strong or healthy, reflecting the goal of the organization.
🤝 Community support and partnerships played a crucial role in establishing the facility, with donations of labor, materials, and the use of a building.
📈 There has been significant growth in the number of foster homes since the inception of Skookum Kids, indicating the positive impact of their efforts.
👨‍👧‍👦 The facility not only provides immediate care but also helps to keep sibling groups intact, which is beneficial for the children's well-being.
🛠️ The process of establishing the facility involved navigating complex government regulations and making substantial upgrades to an existing building.
🌟 The story serves as an inspiration that dedicated volunteers can make a significant difference in the lives of foster children and the system as a whole.
🤔 The speaker encourages curiosity and questioning the status quo as a means to bring about change in systems that are not working as intended.

Q & A

What is the main challenge faced by foster parents in the script?
-The main challenge faced by foster parents in the script is the unexpected and frequent requests to take in additional foster children at short notice, which can be inconvenient and disrupt their daily routines.
What does the term '72-hour problem' refer to in the context of the script?
-The '72-hour problem' refers to the situation where social workers need to find a foster home for a child within 72 hours, often due to a lack of available foster homes that can accommodate the child's needs immediately.
How many foster children were there in Rockland County when the speaker became aware of the issue?
-There were about 250 foster children in Rockland County when the speaker first learned about the issue.
What was the number of licensed foster homes in Rockland County at the time of the speaker's awareness?
-There were 81 licensed foster homes in Rockland County at that time.
How many of the 81 foster homes were considered 'active', meaning they were still responsive to social worker calls?
-Only 25 of the 81 foster homes were considered 'active' and responsive to social worker calls.
What was the name chosen for the initiative to address the foster care crisis in the community?
-The initiative was named 'Skookum Kids', a Chinook word meaning 'healthy' or 'strong'.
What does the term 'Skookum' mean and why was it chosen for the initiative's name?
-The term 'Skookum' means 'healthy' or 'strong' and was chosen to reflect the strength of the Pacific Northwest's Native American communities and culture, which also represents 40% of the children in foster care in the community.
What was the solution implemented by the community to address the '72-hour problem'?
-The solution was to create a facility staffed by volunteers where new foster children could spend their first three to four days, allowing social workers time to find a suitable foster home or relative for the child.
How did the initiative manage to upgrade the facility to meet government regulations without incurring high costs?
-The initiative managed to upgrade the facility with the help of community partners who donated labor and materials, resulting in only $1,000 out of pocket for an estimated $15,000 worth of improvements.
What was the impact of the initiative on the number of foster homes in the community after 26 months?
-After 26 months, the number of foster homes in the community increased from 81 to 165, with 17 unrestricted vacancies, indicating a significant growth in capacity.
What message does the speaker emphasize as the key takeaway from their experience with the foster care system?
-The speaker emphasizes the importance of curiosity and questioning the status quo as the key to effecting change in the world, especially in systems like the foster care system.

Outlines

00:00

👨‍👦‍👦 The Challenge of Foster Care Parenting

This paragraph introduces the daily challenges faced by a foster parent, who is also a biological parent, as they juggle the demands of caring for two children of similar ages, one biological and one foster. The scenario describes a hectic Friday morning preparing the kids for soccer, only to be interrupted by a social worker's call requesting an immediate pick-up of another child in need. The dilemma is whether to accommodate this last-minute request, despite the inconvenience, or to refuse based on the principle that someone else should take their turn. The paragraph highlights the scarcity of foster homes and the overburdening of active foster parents, leading to a situation where a small number of homes are repeatedly called upon to take in new placements.

05:02

🏥 The 72-Hour Problem and the Skookum Kids Initiative

The speaker recounts the discovery of the '72-hour problem' in the foster care system, where social workers often struggle to find suitable homes for children within the first three days of their placement. Inspired by a neighboring community's innovative solution, the speaker and a group of volunteers decided to address this issue by creating a temporary facility for new foster children. Named 'Skookum Kids', which means 'healthy' or 'strong' in Chinook, the initiative aimed to provide a safe and nurturing environment for children while social workers searched for a permanent home. The paragraph details the process of incorporating the organization, fundraising, securing a location, and making necessary upgrades to comply with government regulations, all accomplished with minimal out-of-pocket expenses thanks to community support.

10:04

👨‍👧‍👦‍👧 The Impact of Skookum Kids on Foster Care

The final paragraph discusses the impact of the Skookum Kids initiative on the foster care system. It describes the successful placement of a group of siblings, who were able to stay together during their time at the facility, contrary to the common practice of splitting up sibling groups. The initiative not only kept sibling groups intact but also alleviated pressure on foster parents by providing a temporary solution. The paragraph concludes with a call to action, emphasizing the importance of curiosity and questioning the status quo as a means to effect change in the world. It reflects on the significant increase in the number of foster homes in the community since the initiative began, marking a substantial improvement in the foster care system.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Foster care

Foster care refers to a system in which a minor has been placed into a ward, group home, or private home of a certified caregiver, referred to as a 'foster parent'. In the video, the speaker discusses the challenges faced by foster parents, such as the sudden request to take in a new child with no prior notice, highlighting the strain on the system and the need for immediate care.

💡Biological son

A biological son is a child born to a person or persons, in this case, the speaker's own child. The script contrasts the responsibilities of caring for a biological son with that of a foster son, emphasizing the complexities of managing familial and foster relationships within the same household.

💡Soccer games

Soccer games here symbolize the everyday activities and routines that parents and children engage in. The script uses soccer games as a backdrop to illustrate the sudden disruption in a foster parent's life when asked to accommodate an additional child at short notice.

💡Inhaler

An inhaler is a device used to deliver medication into the lungs. It is mentioned in the script to show the meticulous preparation required for children's activities, including consideration for medical needs, which adds another layer of complexity to the foster care scenario.

💡Social worker

A social worker is a professional who provides assistance to individuals and families in need, often involved in child welfare services. In the narrative, the social worker's call represents the system's intervention, placing the onus on the foster parent to respond to an urgent need for a temporary home for a child.

💡Convenience

Convenience refers to the state of being able to proceed with a task or activity with little effort or difficulty. The script contrasts the inconvenience caused by the sudden addition of a foster child with the moral obligation to provide care, presenting a dilemma for the foster parent.

💡Skookum Kids

Skookum Kids is the name chosen for the initiative described in the script, derived from a Chinook word meaning 'healthy' or 'strong'. It represents the goal of the organization to support foster children and improve the foster care system, as well as a nod to the local Native American culture.

💡72-hour problem

The '72-hour problem' is a term coined in the script to describe the challenge faced by social workers to find appropriate foster homes for children within a short time frame. It underscores the urgency and the pressure on the system to provide immediate care.

💡Volunteers

Volunteers are individuals who offer their time and effort for the purpose of the initiative without financial gain. The script highlights the importance of volunteers in establishing and operating the facility, which serves as a temporary home for foster children while a permanent placement is found.

💡Sibling groups

Sibling groups refer to brothers and sisters who are part of the same family. The script emphasizes the importance of keeping sibling groups together in foster care, which is often challenging due to limited resources and space, but is crucial for the children's well-being.

💡Curious people

Curious people, as mentioned in the script, are those who ask questions and seek to understand and improve the world around them. The speaker uses this term to inspire action and change in the foster care system, encouraging others to question the status quo and work towards better solutions.

Highlights

The daily challenges of a foster parent, including managing two children with soccer games and an unexpected call from a social worker about an additional child needing care for the night.

The dilemma faced by foster parents when asked to take in an additional child at short notice, highlighting the difficult choices and sacrifices involved.

The situation in Rockland County with 250 foster children and only 81 licensed foster homes, of which only 25 were active, illustrating the shortage of foster homes.

The innovative solution of creating a facility for new foster children to spend their first few days, allowing social workers time to find a suitable long-term placement.

The establishment of 'Skookum Kids', a non-profit organization aimed at addressing the foster care crisis by providing temporary housing and support for new foster children.

The use of a vacant church building, donated rent-free for two years, as the location for the Skookum Kids facility.

The significant community support and donations that enabled the renovation of the facility to meet government regulations with minimal out-of-pocket expenses.

The recruitment and training of 86 volunteers to staff the facility and provide care for the children, demonstrating the community's commitment to foster care.

The story of the first family cared for by Skookum Kids, a group of four siblings who were kept together during their stay, emphasizing the importance of sibling unity in foster care.

The impact of Skookum Kids on the foster care system, including the increase in the number of foster homes from 81 to 165 in Walker County.

The ongoing need for more foster homes despite the progress made, highlighting that there is still much work to be done in the foster care system.

The importance of curiosity and questioning the status quo as a means to bring about change in the world, as exemplified by the Skookum Kids initiative.

The role of persistence and hard work in addressing systemic issues, as shown by the volunteers and organizers of Skookum Kids.

The significance of community partnerships in providing resources and support for initiatives like Skookum Kids, underlining the power of collective action.

The cultural significance of the name 'Skookum Kids', chosen to reflect the strength of the Pacific Northwest's Native American communities.

The statistical impact of Skookum Kids' work, showing a significant increase in the number of unrestricted vacancies in foster homes, indicating progress in the foster care system.

The call to action for individuals to stay curious, humble, and to continually question and challenge the status quo in order to effect change.

Transcripts

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Takeaways

Q & A

What is the main challenge faced by foster parents in the script?

What does the term '72-hour problem' refer to in the context of the script?

How many foster children were there in Rockland County when the speaker became aware of the issue?

What was the number of licensed foster homes in Rockland County at the time of the speaker's awareness?

How many of the 81 foster homes were considered 'active', meaning they were still responsive to social worker calls?

What was the name chosen for the initiative to address the foster care crisis in the community?

What does the term 'Skookum' mean and why was it chosen for the initiative's name?

What was the solution implemented by the community to address the '72-hour problem'?

How did the initiative manage to upgrade the facility to meet government regulations without incurring high costs?

What was the impact of the initiative on the number of foster homes in the community after 26 months?

What message does the speaker emphasize as the key takeaway from their experience with the foster care system?