The power of being seen: we can transform the child welfare system | Matt Anderson | TEDxGreensboro
TLDRThe speaker recounts their transformative journey as a social worker in foster care, highlighting the challenges faced by teenagers aging out of the system. Through the story of Cody, a former foster child, the narrative emphasizes the power of personal narratives in driving systemic change. The documentary 'From Place to Place' illustrates the struggles of young adults post-foster care and advocates for prioritizing family relationships and systemic transformation to prevent foster care rather than just improving it.
Takeaways
- 🎓 The speaker was pursuing a master's in social work and began a job in foster care, focusing on teenagers aging out of the system without reunification or permanent family.
- 🏡 The role of an independent living case manager involves providing support in housing, employment, education, and independent living skills for foster youth transitioning to adulthood.
- 🔢 A significant number of foster youth experience homelessness, unemployment, and incarceration post-foster care, reflecting the challenges of the system.
- 💔 The emotional toll on the speaker from witnessing the struggles of these youth led to a career crossroads, questioning the viability of their job and the system's effectiveness.
- 🤝 Cody, a 17-year-old in foster care, inspired the speaker by sharing his story, emphasizing the importance of understanding and sharing personal narratives for change.
- 🎬 The documentary 'From Place to Place' was created, showcasing the real-life experiences of young adults post-foster care and the impact of being seen and heard by those in power.
- 🌟 The film had a profound effect on child welfare training, education, policy, and practice, highlighting the power of storytelling in driving systemic change.
- 👨👦 Cody's journey to reconnect with his biological father brought him joy and a sense of belonging, reinforcing the importance of family relationships.
- 🔄 The speaker's career has been dedicated to improving the foster care system by prioritizing family relationships and preventing youth from aging out.
- 🌐 The speaker advocates for a transformation of the child welfare system, emphasizing the need to keep families together and prevent foster care through systemic change.
- 🤔 The speaker suggests that systemic change begins with listening to people's stories, shifting mental models, and creating an inclusive environment for diverse perspectives to inform decisions.
Q & A
What was the speaker's initial occupation when they first met Cody?
-The speaker was working on their masters in social work and had just started a new job in foster care as an independent living case manager.
What does it mean to be an independent living case manager in foster care?
-An independent living case manager works with teenagers who are about to age out of the foster care system at 18, focusing on housing, employment, education, and independent living skills to prepare them for successful adulthood.
What challenges did the teenagers face after aging out of the foster care system?
-The teenagers faced challenges such as homelessness, unemployment, and incarceration, often due to the lack of a stable family environment and the numerous transitions they experienced throughout the foster care system.
Why did the speaker consider giving up on their job in foster care?
-The speaker considered giving up because it was heartbreaking to watch the teenagers they were trying to help disappear into negative statistics like homelessness and unemployment, and they felt the system was broken and hopeless.
What was the turning point for the speaker that led them to stay and try to improve the system?
-The turning point was a conversation with Cody, who shared his story and the fear he had of aging out. This led to the idea of making a movie about Cody's life, which became a catalyst for the speaker's commitment to improving the system.
What is the title of the documentary film made about Cody's life and its purpose?
-The documentary is titled 'From Place to Place' and its purpose is to follow the lives of young adults post-foster care to understand the challenges they face and to inspire changes in the child welfare system.
How did the speaker's perspective on the foster care system change after listening to Cody's story?
-The speaker realized the importance of personal stories in effecting change, and that the focus should be on keeping families together and preventing foster care in the first place, rather than just improving the existing system.
What was Cody's mission after aging out of foster care?
-Cody's mission was to find his biological father, whom he had never met before, in Phoenix, Arizona.
What did Cody learn from his father that was significant to him?
-Cody learned about his father's appearance and behavior, which mirrored his own, and he learned practical life skills such as cleaning a car and making pancakes.
What is the 'Family First Act' and how did it come about?
-The 'Family First Act' is significant child welfare legislation aimed at transforming the system to better support families and prevent the need for foster care. It came about through a process that started with individuals sharing their stories, shifting mindsets, and creating an inclusive environment for change.
What is the primary focus of the speaker's current efforts in transforming the child welfare system?
-The speaker's current efforts focus on preventing foster care in the first place by investing in family well-being, listening to the stories of families and communities, and creating inclusive tables for decision-making.
Why is it important to invest in the well-being of parents according to the speaker?
-Investing in the well-being of parents is important because it demonstrates care and concern for children by supporting the family unit, which is the best environment for a child's growth and development.
How can systemic conditions contribute to child welfare involvement and what can be done to mitigate them?
-Systemic conditions such as lack of access to healthcare, child care, safe housing, and mental health services can contribute to child welfare involvement. By investing in these areas and reducing economic stress on families, the need for foster care can be decreased.
Outlines
🌟 Life-Changing Encounter: Foster Care and Cody's Impact
This paragraph introduces the narrator's experience as a social worker in foster care, focusing on teenagers aging out of the system without family support. Cody, a 17-year-old who had spent seven years in foster care, becomes a pivotal figure in the narrator's life. The narrator's role was to help these teenagers transition to independent living, but the harsh reality was that many ended up homeless, unemployed, or incarcerated. The paragraph culminates in Cody sharing his story, which leads to the idea of making a documentary about his life and the lives of others like him.
🔍 The Power of Storytelling: Transforming the Foster Care System
The narrator reflects on the transformative power of Cody's story and how it led to the creation of a documentary, 'From Place to Place,' which followed young adults post-foster care. The film had a significant impact on child welfare training, education, policy, and practice. The narrator learned the importance of prioritizing relationships and putting family first, leading to successful programs and policy changes in North Carolina. However, despite these efforts, the number of children in foster care continued to rise, prompting a reevaluation of the system's approach and the realization that the goal should be to prevent foster care altogether.
🌱 Fostering Change: The Role of Relationships and Power Dynamics
The narrator discusses the conditions necessary for systemic change, emphasizing the importance of relationships and power dynamics in transforming the child welfare system. By listening to the stories of those who have experienced the system, the narrator believes that mindsets can be shifted, leading to more inclusive decision-making processes. The Family First Act, a significant piece of child welfare legislation, is highlighted as an example of how storytelling and listening can lead to structural change. The narrator calls for a focus on preventing foster care by addressing the root causes of family involvement with the child welfare system.
🏠 Investing in Families: Preventing Foster Care Through Support
In the final paragraph, the narrator argues for a shift in priorities towards supporting families to prevent the need for foster care. The narrator points out that neglect, often a result of systemic stressors, is a leading cause of child welfare involvement and that economic factors significantly impact this. The narrator calls for investments in family well-being, such as increasing the minimum wage, as a means to reduce child maltreatment. The paragraph concludes with a call to action: to listen to parents' stories, create inclusive spaces for dialogue, and work together to alleviate the systemic stressors that contribute to the need for foster care.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Foster Care
💡Independent Living Case Manager
💡Aging Out
💡Systemic Issues
💡Homelessness
💡Unemployment
💡Incarceration
💡Family First Act
💡Structural Changes
💡Mental Models
💡Neglect
💡Economic Investments
Highlights
The speaker's life was profoundly impacted by Cody, a 17-year-old who had spent seven years in foster care.
As an independent living case manager, the speaker worked with teenagers aging out of foster care without permanent family structures.
The harsh reality of children aging out of foster care often leads to homelessness, unemployment, and incarceration.
The speaker faced a career crossroads, deciding to improve the system rather than abandoning it.
Cody's personal story emphasized the importance of understanding the individual experiences of those in the foster care system.
The idea of creating a documentary film about Cody's life emerged as a means to shed light on the foster care system.
The documentary 'From Place to Place' followed three young adults post-foster care, revealing the challenges they face.
The film had a significant impact on child welfare training, education, practice, and policy.
The power of personal stories to change perspectives and systems was a key takeaway from the speaker's experience.
Cody's joy upon reconnecting with his father underscored the importance of familial relationships.
The speaker's career has been dedicated to improving the foster care system by prioritizing family relationships.
Despite successes in scaling programs and policy changes, the number of children in foster care has not decreased.
The need to transform, rather than just improve, the child welfare system by focusing on keeping families together was highlighted.
Six conditions of systems change were discussed, emphasizing the importance of relationships, power dynamics, and mental models.
The Family First Act, influenced by the stories shared in the documentary, represents a significant legislative change.
The process of systems change begins with listening to and understanding personal stories, as exemplified by the film's impact.
Investing in family well-being, rather than solely focusing on child safety, can prevent the need for foster care.
The speaker calls for an inclusive approach, asking families what they need and alleviating systemic stressors.
Transcripts
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