In February, Carolyn Travis of California Youth Connection wrote an op-ed for The Imprint calling on Governor Gavin Newsom to keep his commitment to fair market support for youth who receive subsidized independent living placement (SILP) funds in extended foster care.  Travis joined us on the podcast to talk about her own experience transitioning into extended foster care and then into adulthood, and how important her ability to save some money through SILP was as she entered the workforce during COVID-19.  Carolyn Travis is the community advocacy coordinator for California Youth Co ..read more

A new multimedia package produced by The Imprint and Voices of Monterey Bay takes readers, viewers and listeners deep inside rural Oregon’s Indian Country, where elders are Indigenizing social work through equine therapy for young people who have experienced foster care and youth justice systems. “Horses take us all the way back to our history before our land was taken away,” explains John Doug Spence, who leads equine therapy sessions across Oregon. “It’s a way of taking back our power.” The project, Healing the Children of Horse Nations, is a collaboration between The Imprint’s Indigenous ..read more

Healing the Children of Horse Nations, a new multimedia package produced by The Imprint and Voices of Monterey Bay, takes readers, viewers and listeners deep inside rural Oregon’s Indian Country, where elders are Indigenizing social work through equine therapy for young people who have experienced foster care and youth justice systems. “Horses take us all the way back to our history before our land was taken away,” explains John Doug Spence, who leads equine therapy sessions across Oregon. “It’s a way of taking back our power.”  Check out this episode of The Imprint Weekly Podcast for an ..read more

Join us in an illuminating episode of InnerViews as we delve into the profound topic of healing trauma through the lens of re-parenting, guided by the wisdom of Deborah D. Denzel. Drawing from her lived expertise and career in improving the child welfare system, Deborah shares transformative insights into her personal journey of resilience. Explore the pillars of re-parenting and discover empowering strategies for self-nurturing and growth. Through candid reflections and empowering moments, Deborah reveals how embracing the concept of re-parenting has paved the way for healing, joy, and person ..read more

 Dr. LaShawnDa Pittman spent years studying the lives of dozens of grandmothers in the Chicago area for her book, Grandmothering While Black. “Despite managing the simultaneity of love and coercion,” she writes, “the Black grandmothers in this study demonstrated their love for their grandchildren in their willingness to provide care, as an extension of parenting and sometimes in place of it.” Dr. Pittman explored that balance of love and coercion and many other takeaways from her work. Reading Room Grandmothering While Black: A Twenty-First Century Story of Love, Coercion, and Surviva ..read more

On this week’s episode we talk to Rob Geen, who is leading the new Child Welfare Initiative started by the Bipartisan Policy Center. Some of the initiative’s early activities have included: -A national survey on public attitudes and views about the child welfare system and how it should operate -A landscape assessment based on interviews with those working for, involved with, and directly affected by child welfare policy. -A review of state child welfare legislative activity in recent years. Geen talked to us about the origins of the initiative, findings from its early activities, and his view ..read more

On this week’s podcast, we discuss some new legislation aimed at drawing more interest in extended foster care, long-sought data on compliance with the Indian Child Welfare Act, and the use of federal funds for family justice. We also break down yet another child welfare-related lawsuit in New York, and concerns over the precedent set by the conviction of Jennifer Crumbley. Reading Room Bipartisan Bill Would Expand Federal Extended Foster Care Program https://bit.ly/3Uum8FC Fostering Adults: The State of Care https://imprintnews.org/special-series/fostering-adults-state-extended-care Biden Pro ..read more

Healing Generations: Nurturing the Inner Child Through Reparenting - A Journey with Dr. Alison Davis Welcome to InnerViews, a new monthly podcast from the Youth Voices Rising program at Fostering Media Connections! InnerViews is not just a podcast; it's an intimate exploration led by Ivory Bennett, a seasoned professional with 17 years of lived foster care experience. Each episode is a deep dive into topics surrounding trauma, mental and emotional health, well-being, and the unique challenges faced by Black women in the realm of healing. Join Ivory Bennett on "InnerViews" for powerful conver ..read more

On this week’s episode we first talked to Kat McCloud about the new season of “Self-Taught,” a podcast from foster youth, for foster youth that just joined our SafeCamp Audio Network. McCloud talks about the first season of the show, what to expect in the second (which is now out) and how she decides what she is comfortable sharing publicly. Bruce Lesley, president of First Focus on Children, joins us to discuss a new tax reform bill that includes a big proposal to provide more financial support for low-income parents and children, as well as federal budget deliberations and what states a ..read more

On our monthly headlines episode, we discuss recent Imprint coverage on a child welfare litigation group’s first big legal challenge, the impact of fentanyl on legislation and policy in child welfare, and the Biden administration’s incremental steps on fines and fees in the juvenile justice system. We also discuss the child welfare case of a transgender teen in Montana, and the state of federal data on child welfare.  Reading Room New York Appeals Court Case Focuses on Non-abusive Parent Being Subjected to Home Supervisions https://bit.ly/3w4Ybum New Civil Rights Organization Dedicated to ..read more