Episode 35: Encouragement for Helpers

Episode 40: I tried to break up with DEI

In this episode, I reflect on my long, complicated relationship with DEI: the promise, the disappointment, the fatigue, and the deeper purpose underneath it all. What began as formal diversity work inside an institution eventually became something much more personal: a way of understanding justice, dignity, opportunity, and the barriers families face inside systems. I share how early DEI work taught me that organizations often reveal their true commitment through resources, access, and influence. I also explore what happens when the language of DEI becomes politically charged, when people quietly distance themselves from the work, and when the principles still matter even if the labels change. At its core, this episode is not just about DEI as a department, title, or acronym. It is about whether we still believe in fairness, equal protection, belonging, and the possibility of becoming a better nation. Next steps:  To continue learning and move beyond surface-level conversations, engage with Skin DEEP: The History of Child Welfare by Race, an online course and workshop designed to help professionals, organizations, and community partners understand how race has shaped the family and child welfare system. Visit www.skindeepcw.com [http://www.skindeepcw.com] or email info@skindeepcw.com [info@skindeepcw.com] to learn more.

Episode 39: Supporting Helpers in Child Welfare: Simple Joy...Big Impact

In this episode, I’m talking with Lauren Welch, founder of Social Empowerment Texas, about what it means to support the people doing some of the hardest work in the child welfare and foster care system. Lauren is a foster and adoptive mom, and through both personal and professional experience, she saw a gap in support for CPS employees, case managers, investigators, supervisors, and support staff. So instead of only talking about what is wrong, she started building something to help. We talk about how supporting workers also supports families. When the workforce is overwhelmed, unsupported, and constantly turning over, foster parents feel it, parents feel it, and children feel it. Lauren shares how Social Empowerment Texas is creating small but meaningful moments of support, from appreciation pop-ups and car kits to refreshed visitation rooms and one-on-one encouragement through their Social Stars program.   Social Empowerment Texas information: Was born out of a place of care for the system and those that are affected by it - and the enormous trickle effect that caring, encouraging and empowering social workers provides.  www.socialempowertx.org lauren@socialempowertx.org  https://www.facebook.com/SocialEmpowerTX [https://www.facebook.com/SocialEmpowerTX]   #ChildWelfare #FosterCare #ChildWelfareSystem #FamilyAndChildWelfareSystem #CPS #SocialServices #Burnout #Retention #WorkforceSupport #SimpleJoy

Episode 38: Before you quit social services...listen to this

Before you quit, I want you to pause for a minute. In this episode, I’m talking to the people in social services, foster care, and the family and child welfare system who are tired, frustrated, overwhelmed, or wondering if their work is making a difference. I’ve been there. I’ve carried 100-plus families, I’ve felt the weight of burnout, and I know what it feels like to love the work while also wondering if you can keep doing it.   If this episode speaks to where you are right now, sign up for the SYNCing Child Welfare newsletter so you can stay connected and receive tools that simplify navigation and reduce confusion in the family and child welfare system. Click HERE.   #burnout #isolation #connection #fostercare #childwelfare #socialservices #mandatedreporter #supervisor #director #leadership #manager

Episode 37: Foster Care and Homelessness: Why Connection Matters in the Child Welfare System

In this episode, I’m talking about the deep connection between foster care and homelessness, especially for youth who age out of the child welfare and foster care system without a plan or without supportive family to lean on. I share why this should be a shared sorrow for all of us, and what shared success can look like when a community wraps support around families early and consistently. I also break down what the data tells us about foster youth and homelessness and incarceration, highlight a few federal and state programs that matter, and share a local example of what it looks like when systems actually connect and build a “one front door” approach for families.   Call to Action: If you know a youth who has been involved in foster care, encourage them to ask about FYI vouchers and Chafee supports and to connect with local agencies that can help them navigate eligibility. And if you’re a leader, partner, or helper in the family and child welfare system, let’s talk about what intentional connection could look like across your local ecosystem. Email: info@dupreeperspective.com

Episode 36: Shame in Foster Care

In this episode, I’m talking about shame in foster care and how powerful it is. Shame can stop people from getting help when they need it, and sometimes it keeps families quiet until a situation becomes an emergency. I share a moment from court that stuck with me, a grandmother in tears saying, “If I would’ve known, I would’ve done something.” That’s the thing about shame. People can be drowning and no one knows. I also talk about how mandated reporting fits into this, why two things can be true at the same time (reporting can save lives and reporting can also pull families into deeper system involvement than they actually needed), and what I believe we have to focus on instead: protecting families, connecting systems, and making the process simple enough that people can actually succeed.   If you’re a helper, a mandated reporter, or a leader in the family and child welfare system: is our process simple enough that someone new can understand it without feeling ashamed or lost? Click the link below and grab the child welfare confusion audit.   Newsletter signup with free gift- access the Child Welfare Confusion Audit HERE [https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/uhuFHBd/syncpodcast].