Great information this week and much to think about. My takeaway from all articles is the system is broken. ASFA is well intended yet I met case managers every day that have no idea how or why concurrent case planning or expedited TPR works. There is no doubt a disproportionate amount of minority children in care. This brings me to the GAL articles. My observation is many times the GAL wants to be a child’s voice based on their own values. Why don’t we approach this like a jury pool? Ask family members to provide three to five people they believe can help guide the family. This is a more holistic approach and aligns with the culture and norms of where the child is in crisis. A teacher, a neighbor, a relative, a clergy, etc. This type of treatment team could provide more solutions to maintain the child in the community than a GAL who has 40 hours of training and a lifestyle that is often vastly different. Sometimes thinking out of the box requires us to let go of what we know and learn something new. I am glad the conversation is happening. Kids in care need some solutions. Hotels and single night placements are not the answer. We are providing a roof and four walls at the expense of long term trauma and mental health. Let’s build something that works. ❤️
Great information this week and much to think about. My takeaway from all articles is the system is broken. ASFA is well intended yet I met case managers every day that have no idea how or why concurrent case planning or expedited TPR works. There is no doubt a disproportionate amount of minority children in care. This brings me to the GAL articles. My observation is many times the GAL wants to be a child’s voice based on their own values. Why don’t we approach this like a jury pool? Ask family members to provide three to five people they believe can help guide the family. This is a more holistic approach and aligns with the culture and norms of where the child is in crisis. A teacher, a neighbor, a relative, a clergy, etc. This type of treatment team could provide more solutions to maintain the child in the community than a GAL who has 40 hours of training and a lifestyle that is often vastly different. Sometimes thinking out of the box requires us to let go of what we know and learn something new. I am glad the conversation is happening. Kids in care need some solutions. Hotels and single night placements are not the answer. We are providing a roof and four walls at the expense of long term trauma and mental health. Let’s build something that works. ❤️