#Action4FosterYouth: Not Invisible

California School Boards Association

12 May 201603:54

EducationalLearning

32 Likes 10 Comments

TLDRThis powerful script from a foster care student reveals the invisible struggles they face, including abuse, depression, and anxiety, which often lead to school suspensions and academic disruptions. With frequent school and home changes, they grapple with the instability of their environment, impacting their education and future prospects. The speaker calls for visibility, support, and a system designed to accommodate their unique challenges, emphasizing the need for societal assistance to help foster children succeed.

Takeaways

👤 The speaker is a student in foster care who emphasizes their individuality beyond a number or a case file.
👫 The speaker is not alone; many foster children share similar experiences and challenges.
🙅‍♂️ The speaker has experienced various forms of abuse, leading to emotional struggles such as depression, anxiety, and anger.
🏫 The speaker faces academic challenges due to frequent school changes and the emotional turmoil that comes with it.
🔄 The speaker has had to switch schools and homes multiple times, causing instability and difficulty in maintaining friendships and academic continuity.
📚 The speaker mentions the bureaucratic hurdles in transferring schools, such as delays in processing transcripts and determining class enrollment.
🏠 The lack of a stable living situation and personal space affects the speaker's ability to focus on schoolwork and complete assignments.
🤒 The speaker sometimes misses school due to illness, transportation issues, or court appearances.
🎓 The speaker expresses concern about the future, particularly about graduating high school and attending college, which is less likely for foster children.
🏛️ The speaker acknowledges the systemic challenges faced by foster children, such as higher risks of homelessness and arrest.
🔄 The speaker calls for change, asking for visibility and support to overcome the obstacles and achieve success.

Q & A

What is the main message the speaker is trying to convey?
-The speaker is emphasizing their experience as a foster child and the unique challenges they face, asking for help and recognition to improve their situation.
Why does the speaker feel they are not just a number or a placement?
-The speaker wants to be recognized as an individual with personal experiences and emotions, rather than being reduced to a statistic or a bureaucratic case.
What kind of abuse does the speaker mention experiencing?
-The speaker mentions experiencing physical, emotional, and sexual abuse.
How does the speaker's school life differ from that of other students?
-The speaker's school life is complicated by frequent moves and the emotional turmoil caused by their circumstances, which can lead to disciplinary issues and academic disruptions.
How often has the speaker had to change schools and living situations?
-The speaker has been in two different schools this year, five home placements, and has had to move within seven days multiple times.
What difficulties does the speaker face in maintaining friendships due to their situation?
-The constant moving and changing schools make it hard for the speaker to maintain friendships, as they quickly lose contact with new friends made at school.
What issues does the speaker encounter with their school district regarding academics?
-The speaker faces delays in the school district processing their transcripts and determining the appropriate classes for them, as well as understanding their progress towards graduation.
Why does the speaker sometimes skip school?
-The speaker skips school due to feeling overwhelmed, being sick, lack of transportation, or having court appearances.
What are the speaker's concerns about their future?
-The speaker is worried about graduating from high school, attending college, and the increased risk of homelessness or involvement with the criminal justice system.
How does the speaker feel schools are currently equipped to support students like them?
-The speaker believes that while schools are not inherently bad, they are not designed to accommodate the specific needs and challenges of foster children.
What does the speaker ask for from the audience?
-The speaker asks for visibility, support, and help to make foster children more successful, emphasizing the need for the audience's assistance.

Outlines

00:00

🔍 The Hidden Struggles of Foster Care Students

The speaker emphasizes that despite appearing like any other student, they face unique challenges due to being in foster care. They stress that foster kids are more than just numbers or cases, sharing a collective need for help.

💔 The Painful Realities of Abuse

The speaker touches on the various forms of abuse—physical, emotional, and sexual—that foster kids endure, leading to depression, anxiety, and anger. These issues often result in trouble at school and multiple suspensions.

📚 Education Amidst Uncertainty

The speaker explains the educational disruptions caused by frequent moves between homes and schools. With five home placements and three schools in a year, they highlight the instability and its impact on their education and social life.

⏳ The Challenge of Quick Moves

Moving within just seven days is a recurrent struggle for foster kids. This constant relocation means losing friends and struggling to adapt quickly to new environments, both at home and school.

🚫 The Complicated School Transfers

Frequent school changes create significant delays in processing transcripts and enrolling in appropriate classes. This administrative lag hinders their academic progress, often leaving them behind in their studies.

🏠 Lack of Stable Study Spaces

The speaker describes the lack of personal space to complete schoolwork, leading to skipped school days due to overwhelming stress, illness, or transportation issues. Additionally, court appearances further contribute to their absences.

🎓 Uncertain Future Prospects

Expressing concern for the future, the speaker aspires to attend college but is aware of the bleak statistics: only half of foster kids graduate from high school, with higher chances of homelessness or incarceration.

🔄 Need for Systemic Change

Despite schools not being inherently bad, they are not tailored for foster kids' unique needs. The speaker notes the ongoing changes and calls for increased visibility and support to help foster kids succeed.

🙏 A Call for Help

The speaker concludes by urging for assistance in making foster kids more visible and successful, emphasizing the need for collective action and support to improve their lives and futures.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡foster care

Foster care is a system in which a minor has been placed into a ward, group home, or private home of a state-certified caregiver, referred to as a 'foster parent', after being removed from the custody of their biological parents. In the video, the speaker is highlighting their personal experience in foster care, emphasizing the challenges they face that are distinct from those of other students.

💡abuse

Abuse refers to the improper treatment or use of someone to one's advantage, often causing physical, emotional, or mental harm. The script mentions 'physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse' as negative experiences the speaker has encountered, which are significant factors contributing to their struggles and the need for support.

💡depression

Depression is a mood disorder characterized by persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and a lack of interest or pleasure in activities. The speaker mentions getting 'depressed and anxious,' which are mental health issues that can affect their ability to function normally in school and other areas of life.

💡anxiety

Anxiety is a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome. The speaker's mention of anxiety is indicative of the emotional turmoil they experience, which can lead to behavioral issues and suspensions from school.

💡suspension

Suspension is a disciplinary measure taken by educational institutions where a student is temporarily removed from school due to misconduct. The speaker has been 'suspended a few times,' which illustrates the impact of their personal struggles on their school life.

💡home placements

Home placements refer to the process of assigning a child in foster care to a temporary home with a foster family. The speaker mentions 'five home placements,' indicating the instability and frequent disruptions in their living situation, which can greatly affect their sense of security and well-being.

💡transcripts

Transcripts in an educational context are official records of a student's courses, grades, and academic achievements. The speaker talks about the difficulties with their school district 'figuring out my transcripts,' which reflects the administrative challenges faced by foster children in maintaining continuity in their education.

💡graduation

Graduation is the act of receiving a diploma or academic degree, signifying the successful completion of a course of study. The script highlights the concern about 'how far away I am from graduating,' underlining the educational challenges and the potential long-term impact on the speaker's future.

💡homelessness

Homelessness is the condition of having no home, typically due to a lack of financial resources. The speaker expresses worry about the 'better chance of being homeless,' which is a stark reality for many youth aging out of the foster care system, emphasizing the need for intervention and support.

💡arrest

An arrest is the act of taking someone into custody by legal authority, typically in response to a suspected crime. The speaker mentions the increased risk of 'getting arrested,' which points to the systemic issues and negative outcomes that can affect individuals who have been in foster care.

💡visibility

Visibility in this context refers to the recognition and awareness of a group's existence and needs by society. The speaker calls for making foster children 'more visible,' indicating the desire for societal acknowledgment and support to address the unique challenges they face.

💡success

Success is the accomplishment of an aim or purpose. The speaker seeks 'help to make us successful,' which encapsulates the broader message of the video, urging support and intervention to improve the life outcomes for children in foster care.

Highlights

The speaker is a foster child who feels unseen despite being visible.

Foster children are not just numbers or files; they have personal experiences.

Many foster children face similar struggles and need help.

The speaker avoids discussing the negative experiences such as abuse.

Foster children can suffer from depression, anxiety, and anger, leading to school issues.

The speaker has faced frequent school and home changes, impacting stability.

Foster children often have limited time to adjust to new living situations.

The constant moving makes it difficult to maintain friendships and school progress.

School districts face challenges in processing foster children's educational records.

The lack of personal space can hinder a foster child's ability to do schoolwork.

Foster children may skip school due to overwhelming circumstances.

Health issues, transportation, and court appearances can cause school absences.

Foster children have a higher risk of not graduating high school and facing homelessness or incarceration.

The speaker believes schools are not bad but not designed for the needs of foster children.

There is a call for change to make foster children more visible and supported.

The speaker asks for help to make foster children successful.

Transcripts

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