Ep. 23 - This Isn’t Working: 15 Years Inside Washington’s Child Welfare System

Kaila joins us on the podcast today!Kaila shares with us the story of her family adopting and fostering 5 children in the span of 15 years all from the same mother, a cousin in her family struggling with addiction. Kaila has seen throughout the 15 years the countless resources that her cousin has been given - free rehab, medical attention, chances for support - and none of this has prevented her from her drug usage or giving birth to drug-affected babies.To add fuel to the flame, even with the 15 years of hard drug use, the state still wants to press reunification, fighting to reunite these children with their birth mother, even though she (nor their fathers) have the means to care for them. Not only that, Kaila shares with us the realities of what 15 years of hard drug use does to a person and she does not believe that her cousin will be ready any time soon to be able to care for a child, let alone five.These children are in wonderful homes. Why keep pushing reunification? If the mother has clearly shown no interest in sobriety or creating a life that can sustain herself and multiple children, why press this mandate?Reunification is not always the answer. Family isn't created just by blood. We need to make sure that our lawmakers are hearing our frontline workers and those affected by our current laws to see the real changes that need to be made.Thank you, Kaila, for sharing your insight and your story, and for the incredible work your family has done in taking care of these little ones.……………………………..Want to know more about Fostering Change WA? Visit our website: https://fosteringchangewa.org/You can learn more about our history, our mission, or make a donation to sponsor an episode.Our mission is to make a real change in Washington state for those most vulnerable. Through this channel, we aim to give a voice to the voiceless, share the stories of those who often go unseen, and inspire people to make a difference. We want views and comments to become action that will save lives. To follow us and the work we are doing, check out our social media channels: Instagram: @fosteringchangewa TikTok: @fosteringchangewa Facebook: Fostering Change WAWant to catch up on the story? All our 'Change The Story' episodes are available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Podcasts, and on our YouTube channel.#fostercare #adoption #washingtonstate #childwelfare