Sarah Winograd’s journey as a “professional volunteer” led to the realization that poverty was a driving factor in the child removals in the families she was working with. See how Sarah mobilized her community to address family poverty to help families stay together. Through the Together for Families program, Sarah lives out her vision of supporting families by helping them meet basic needs. Show Notes 00:00:30  | Matt opens this episode reflecting on the child welfare system’s association between poverty and neglect 00:01:10  | Meet Sarah Winograd: Program Manager for Together for ..read more

Cherie Craft, the founding CEO and Executive Director of Smart from the Start, talks about her organization’s unique approach to engaging communities and addressing conditions to enhance child and family well-being. Cherie references a previous episode of Seen Out Loud with Matthew Jackson to explain how Smart from the Start builds trust with families. Cherie also offers advice for other organizational leaders on relationship building, reducing recidivism rates, and incorporating social justice into community work. 00:00:23  | Matt recaps the last episode S2, E5: The Impact of Community ..read more

In this episode, Matthew Jackson explains how the community conditions he grew up in influenced the trajectory of his life into adulthood, and the difficulties he experienced with leaving “Jungle” in the past and charting a new path for the betterment of his family. Listen as Matthew shares his story as a single father, passionately invested in his daughter’s life, and how he’s helping other dads, with similar beginnings in Boston, MA and Washington, D.C.  [Warning: This conversation contains explicit language] Show Notes 00:00:26  | Matt starts the conversation on what he means by ..read more

Keri Hope Richmond, Child Welfare Policy Advocate, Speaker, and Podcast Host, joins Matt Anderson in conversation on engaging storytellers with lived experience with the child welfare system. Listen as Keri talks about her experiences sharing her story about navigating foster care—some empowering and some not—and the lessons she’s learned along the way. She also passes along advice to organizations on the do’s and don’t’s in engaging storytellers with lived expertise. Show Notes 00:02:55  | When was the first time Keri publicly shared her story?    00:04:46  | Keri express ..read more

Pick up where part one left off with Sana L. Cotten on her journey to find answers about her family history. In this episode, Sana, who has never met her father, goes on a 10-year search to locate her paternal family and find belonging. She reflects on how her unfulfilled need for family connection after entering foster care has impacted her through adulthood. Matt Anderson shares thoughts about the importance of being mindful of the emotional well-being of youth in foster care in addition to their physical safety when placing them into care. Show Notes 00:00:30  | S2 E3: In Search of B ..read more

Determined to discover where she came from, Sana L. Cotten recalls her ventures to uncover her past, face her family’s trauma, and reconnect with relatives who are part of her story. Hear from Sana how the process of learning about her birth family after adoption has helped her break generational cycles, shape her identity, and begin a journey to healing through empathy.  Trigger Warning: Descriptions of rape and sex trafficking Show Notes 00:01:19  | Meet Sana L. Cotten, as she recalls, through the reading of her case files, how she and her twin brother were taken by child protecti ..read more

Gina Wassemiller is a mother of three and a passionate parent ally. In the short film “Being Gina” she shares her evolution from being a parent struggling with substance use disorder, domestic abuse, and the removal of her children to being a leader at the F.I.R.S.T. Legal Clinic. This organization supports new mothers experiencing substance use challenges with legal advocacy and other services to prevent Child Protective Services removals. Gina is also a contracted Social Service Specialist with the Office of Public Defense Parent Representation Program. Gina has been actively involved in loc ..read more

Dr. Bruce Perry and Matt pick up from their conversation in Season 1 to dive deeper into strategies for creating positive change for families. Hear Dr. Bruce Perry give his advice for organizations like the Institute for Family on what it takes to make an impact—from shifting mindsets through storytelling to creating sustainable connections in communities. Show Notes  00:02:00  | Picking up from S1 E3: PEOPLE CHANGE THROUGH STORIES, Matt recalls a compelling statement from Dr. Bruce Perry. 00:08:30  | Matt asks, “If our systems are a collection of individuals who make decision ..read more

On this bonus episode celebrating social work month, Jaquia Wilson returns to the mic with her former social worker Raven Mitchell. Hear from Jaquia and Raven about the solid foundation they built during Jaquia’s time in foster care. Get insight on the importance of relationship-building between youth in care and social workers and how impactful Raven has been on Jaquia’s early years.  Show Notes  00:00:36  | On S1, E5: CRACK THE CONCRETE WHEN YOU WALK we meet Jaquia Wilson and learn about her experiences as a youth in foster care, meeting an influential social worker, and aging ..read more

Reimaging child welfare starts with looking inward. On this bonus episode, get to know more about host Matt Anderson as he provides candid responses to listener questions about reimaging child welfare, the power of listening, and his source of hope.  Call in with your questions and reactions at (512) 815-3956. 00:01:45  | Adrian McLemore, Program Officer, Annie E. Casey Foundation, and Host, FosterStrong Podcast: What keeps you hopeful while doing this work, given how the premise of foster care is centered around traumatic experiences? 00:03:56  | Lyndsey Wilson, CEO, FirstSta ..read more