Briefs

Policies aimed at reducing childhood poverty can yield positive benefits for Washington in terms of improved individual and family functioning, and increased economic self-sufficiency for future generations.

Two-pager that highlights the ongoing work of Strive, including Strive adaptation and expansion

More than 50% of incarcerated people are parents at-risk of permanently losing parental rights. Federal policy (TPR) has inequitable impacts on Black, Indigenous, and other POC, low-income families, and women. The brief outlines recommendations.

New brief from Think of Us and PFC documents experiences of foster care alumni who have lived in group homes and their experiences including lower degrees of well-being and greater barriers to college access and completion of higher education programs, all made worse from the impact of the pandemic. Specific recommendations are outlined in the brief.

MEPA prevents consideration of children’s race and culture at placement, resulting in many White families adopting transracially without adequate training

Legislation could be unified at the federal level to ensure that all LGBTQIA+ children, youth, and potential LGBTQIA+ foster and adoptive families are protected from discrimination and have equitable experiences throughout the child welfare process and beyond.

Poverty is the greatest threat to child well-being. Child neglect, the most common reason for child welfare intervention, is often the result of poverty rather than parental maltreatment. Furthermore, child removal and out-of-home care remains standard practice in child neglect cases. Separation of children and families is detrimental, and especially traumatic for BIPOC children, who are removed at a disproportionate rate compared to white children. Short- and long-term access to economic support and social services ensure families can invest in the long-term well-being of their children.

This P4C brief provides an introductory history of foster care and relevant historical context, critical to understanding how the current system reflects and upholds systemic racism in its policy and practice. Since its establishment in the late 19th century, the foster care system has been a microcosm of broader systemic violence against communities of color. The foster care system was originally predicated on the well-being of white children and families, and many of its present day policies continue to reflect a myopic understanding of child welfare. Harmful effects of the foster care system must be fully understood to envision, create, and enact a future that protects and ensures safety for all children.

Currently it is routine practice for officers in nearly half of U.S. corrections institutions to physically restrain pregnant and laboring women. Restraining pregnant women poses health and developmental risks to the mother and baby. Heeding these concerns, many states and federal agencies have passed policies limiting the use of restraints on this population. Federal legislation could ban the use of restraints on pregnant women in all corrections institutions, including jails, prisons, and detention centers, unless a legitimate safety or security concern exists.

Entry into the foster care system can be a traumatic experience for children which can have many lasting negative effects. Burgeoning state and city practices offer ideas about how we can improve the relationships between birth parents and caregivers to maintain connection and support children. Supporting the connection of birth parents and caregivers is a key area for improving systems. Establishing the Family Connection Program puts the needs of children in the center and supports families in Washington.