I whole-heartedly agree with Judge Erskine and appreciate that she’s speaking out. “The system” is defective from entry to exit. It’s harmful, discriminatory, and lacks humanity and compassion. I realize that there are arguments in support of abolishing the system all together. I don’t entirely disagree even though I believe we’re far from not needing some version of a “child protection” system. I hear the arguments against “best interest” representation due to the subjectivity and biases that inform it. However, let me be clear–representation of “expressed wishes” only without some version of best interest advocacy and representation (in and outside the courtroom) jeopardizes the safety and well-being of children. Take it from someone who nobody was paying attention to and suffered the consequences because of it. I’m tired of the lack of humility and compromise in finding solutions that will strengthen families and improve child outcomes. Let’s keep the foot on the gas until we create the change we need!

Every child entrenched in the system deserves at least one zealous advocate to look after them. Harmony Montgomery didn’t have one.

I entered the child welfare system in 1975 shortly after my 14-year-old mother, Dee, gave birth to me. She was poor and struggled with substance abuse and mental illness, like all the adults in her family. As a child, I bounced from foster home to foster home. I don’t recall much of my early childhood but there’s one memory that’s fixed in my mind. It’s me at 4, waking up in the morning, wet, frightened, and waiting for my foster mother to enter the room and beat me for wetting the bed.

My entire childhood was tainted by abuse and neglect. But there were caring adults who stepped up for me during important points in my life. They gave me hope, and because of their belief in me, I became a college graduate, therapist, professor, child welfare leader, and adoptive parent to my nephew. None of these accomplishments, though, erase the memories of childhood abuse, which has had a lasting legacy.

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Phoenix Santiago and Charles Lerner discuss the responsibilities we have to care for those who have experienced trauma under our watch. They ask the question “How dare we abdicate our responsibilities after the age of 18?” and discuss what it looks like to offer radical compassion.

Welcome back to INNOVATE! for Season Two! This season, host Angela Tucker highlights REFCA Champions who are inspiring a Re-Envisioning of Foster Care in America. These visionary leaders are using their wisdom, expertise and lived experiences in foster care to transform the foster care narrative from Alaska to New York, California to Missouri, the Pacific Northwest to New England.

To learn more about INNOVATE!, the Re-Envisioning Foster Care in America (REFCA) Movement and the Treehouse Foundation, go to treehousefoundation.net. As always, be sure to like and subscribe to the podcast to be notified when new episodes are released.

ABOUT THE HOST:

INNOVATE! host, Angela Tucker, is a REFCA Champion and a nationally recognized mentor, entrepreneur, educator and consultant. Angela is a transracial adoptee who, having been adopted from foster care by a white family, grew up in a city that was demographically just 1% Black.

She is the Founder of The Adopted Life, a child-welfare consulting business where she strives to center adoptee stories and bring clarity and truth to narratives about race, class and identity.

Angela has produced The Adopted Life 3-part web series where she interviews transracially adopted youth. She is the host of The Adoptee Next Door podcast where she amplifies adult adoptee voices to showcase the wide spectrum of experiences. Her own adoption experience searching for and reuniting with her birth family is the subject of the documentary CLOSURE.

Angela’s first book is scheduled for publication in spring 2023 (Beacon Press).

Angela Tucker – Host & Producer
Nicholas Ramsey – Editor & Producer
Judy Cockerton – Executive Producer
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Charles Lerner brings over 20 years of experience in child welfare and mental health. He is the founding Executive Director of Boston CASA. During his seven-year tenure, Boston CASA increased revenue from $60,000 to over $800,000, volunteers from 33 to 175, and children with advocates from 60 to 225. His previous work has included leading the first LGBTQ foster-to-permanency program in California as well as teaching at multiple universities including California State University- East Bay and Harvard University. He holds a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy. 

Charles is a previous foster youth and an adoptive father. His son had a CASA and she’s still in their lives close to a decade later. He joins Massachusetts CASA in the hopes to elevate the CASA network across the Commonwealth and support local programs across the state to reach their goals. Charles believes that foster care, as we know it, does not work for children, their families, or society. As a matter of fact, the system is harmful and unjust. He plans to leverage his role as State Director to be a catalyst for change, including bringing greater dignity and humanity to the system. Stay tuned for regular communications from Charles. He welcomes messages at charles@macasa.org. 

It’s always daunting for me to be in the media. What words can you offer in response to the loss of a child?

Alison King and I discussed the political spin that would no doubt come out of the recent developments in Harmony’s case. I shared with her that the spin would eventually stop and we’d have the same system with the same problems with the same results. I shared that we need to get bold and create a system that dramatically reduces the number of children in foster care. Only then will we be able to meet our obligation for those children that need to be in care.

Lastly, no child should be entangled in this system alone. Children need at least one person solely looking after them and ensuring that their needs are met, they have some sense of normalcy, and they are not slipping through the unavoidable cracks of the system. It’s why I believe in the CASA model so passionately. As is the case for every program, CASA needs to grow and evolve. However, I’ve never seen a program that has more of a positive impact on the lives of children in foster care. As a previous foster youth and the adoptive father of a child from foster care who had a CASA, I’m proud to be an ambassador of this organization.

Read the news story: The Politics of Harmony Montgomery: How the System Failed in Two States