Episode #153 Linking Lost Kids with Family: Talking about justice, but we rarely do it. Solutions to Get Children Out Of Being In Care with Kevin Campbell and Elizabeth Wendel, Founders Pale Blue and Family Finding

THRIVING MINDS PODCAST

Are you Building Bridges, Bars, or Barriers: We constantly talk about justice, but we rarely do it. Solutions for Children in Residential Care and Detention, Kevin Campbell and Elizabeth Wendell, Founders Pale Blue and Family Finding

"Family Finding" is a methodology in child safety and welfare, developed by Kevin A. Campbell, which prioritizes reconnecting children in the foster care system with their extended family members and other significant connections. The main goal is to establish a lifelong network of support, ensuring the child's well-being, safety, and permanency.

Here's why "Family Finding" is vital in child safety:

1. Lifelong Connections: It operates on the understanding that every child deserves a family and the benefits of lifelong, meaningful relationships.
2. Safety and Support: By reconnecting children with their families, they can have a broader support system. This can increase the chances of success once they transition out of the foster care system and enter adulthood.
3. Enhanced Well-being: A sense of belonging and connection can have profound effects on a child's mental and emotional well-being.
4. Reduction in Time in Foster Care: Reconnecting children with their families can potentially lead to quicker reunification or other permanency solutions, reducing the time spent in foster care.
5. Shared Decision-making: The approach values the input and involvement of the child's family in planning and decision-making processes.
6. Holistic Understanding: The process of "Family Finding" also provides caseworkers with a more comprehensive understanding of the child's history, potential risks, and protective factors within their extended family.

The approach typically involves a structured search for relatives and others with a significant connection to the child, followed by engagement and planning sessions to ensure the child's safety and well-being. The ultimate goal is to provide each child with a network of committed adults who can offer enduring emotional and physical support.

Are you doing social work or being a social worker. Social work is personal. We are asking people to bring their whole self to the table. Pale Blue encouragement about acts of resistance, don’t make it personal, systems solutions, solutions lie in people not systems. Coaching yourself. What are my acts of resistance?

We delve into the transformative practice of 'Family Finding', a method that meticulously searches for relatives and significant figures in a child's life, culminating in strategic sessions to ensure a child's safety and well-being. Our journey doesn't just focus on the technicalities of social work, but on the essence of being a social worker - bringing one's whole self to the table, acknowledging personal acts of resistance, and leveraging systems for human-centric solutions.

In this space, we discuss the courage required to challenge entrenched systems and the influences that shape our perspectives. We explore stories of resilience, like that of children in Rwanda post-genocide, and how a community’s commitment to family reintegration can defy the norms of institutional care. Our dialogues often lead to revelations about power dynamics and the profound impact of having at least one person who believes in a child.

Join us as we engage with thought leaders from Pale Blue, drawing inspiration from the symbolism of our planet - a pale blue dot in the vast universe, as described

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