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NTFD is collaborating with Graham Windham, Good Shepherd Services, and New York Foundling on a series of events that examine the role child welfare agencies play in separating families, how to acknowledge harms, and move towards supporting families.
It is really about settling up or coming to terms with the fact that although we intended to do well, and in many cases we have. The reality though, is that we've also done a lot of harm, and that this is harm that has gone on for too long.
- Kimberly Watson, CEO Graham Windham
The Reckoning includes several events over the course of 2024 and these recordings provide a master class in how the family regulation system functions, the importance of acknowledging harm, and provides ideas for better supporting families.
“The Reckoning: Transforming Systems to Achieve Family Justice and Integrity” delves into the history of the child welfare system, explores the consequences of government surveillance, separation, and harm, and discusses strategies to put an end to the challenges faced by Black and Latinx families and children impacted by the system.
More than 350 people attended the March 2024 conference. Among those who completed the post-conference survey, nearly everyone reported learning something new about the family surveillance system, abolition, and the history of child welfare. Many attendees also shared that the experience shifted their perspective on these issues and inspired them to reconsider their approach to their work moving forward. Additionally, 46% of respondents noted that they frequently observed bias in their work. Only 8% believed their work was very effective, while nearly half felt it was only somewhat effective or not effective at all.
This insightful webinar explored critical reforms and delved into key themes that emerged from the feedback shared during the Reckoning on March 14, 2024. The discussion also addressed accountability, acknowledgment of harm, and the commitments made by the three CEO’s from Graham Windham, New York Foundling, and Good Shepherd.
Maya Pendleton, Policy Analyst, Co-Founder, the UpEND Movement, Co-Author, Confronting the Racist Legacy of the American Child Welfare System
Shalonda Curtis-Hackett, Community Outreach Coordinator Family Defense Practice
Joyce McMillan, Founder and Executive Director JMACforFamilies
Angela O. Burton, Esq., Co-chair, Narrowing the Front Door Workgroup
Kym Watson, CEO Graham Windham
Michelle Yanche, CEO Good Shepherd Services
Melanie Hartzog, CEO New York Foundling
Amanda Wallace, a former CPS worker and Founder, Operation Stop CPS (North Carolina) opened the event with a powerful keynote address. She highlighted the pressing issues, concerns, and harms within the family policing system, stressing the need for an honest reckoning with the truth. Social service agency staff engaged in a courageous conversation of self-examination and personal accountability, exploring tangible ways to better support families and identifying organizational changes necessary to truly center family needs.
David Ogando, Foster Care Case Planner at Graham Windham, Alexandria Munoz, Vice President for Foster Care at New York Foundling, and Akelia Maitland, Vice President of Clinical Implementation at Good Shepherd. These staff representatives took to the stage for an open and honest discussion about the foster care system, addressing the harm caused, confronting the realities within their own organizations, and acknowledging their roles and responsibilities. The event featured an open mic session, giving attendees a platform to share their perspectives.
The event concluded with a session led by the three CEOs, Kimberly Watson, Melanie Hartzog, Michelle Yanche and moderated by Narrowing the Front Door co-chair Angela O. Burton focuses on the strategies these agencies are adopting to transform their practices. These efforts include re-evaluating internal procedures, advocating for legislative changes like Family Miranda Rights, improving policies around family visits for children in foster care, and providing frontline staff with training on recognizing and addressing implicit bias.
