Episode 36: Shame in Foster Care

In this episode, I’m talking about shame in foster care and how powerful it is. Shame can stop people from getting help when they need it, and sometimes it keeps families quiet until a situation becomes an emergency. I share a moment from court that stuck with me, a grandmother in tears saying, “If I would’ve known, I would’ve done something.” That’s the thing about shame. People can be drowning and no one knows. I also talk about how mandated reporting fits into this, why two things can be true at the same time (reporting can save lives and reporting can also pull families into deeper system involvement than they actually needed), and what I believe we have to focus on instead: protecting families, connecting systems, and making the process simple enough that people can actually succeed.   If you’re a helper, a mandated reporter, or a leader in the family and child welfare system: is our process simple enough that someone new can understand it without feeling ashamed or lost? Click the link below and grab the child welfare confusion audit.   Newsletter signup with free gift- access the Child Welfare Confusion Audit HERE.