Supporting parents and working to change the system brings meaning to advocates’ lives. But it’s also painful work. Here, Rise Training Director Jeanette Vega, Senior Parent Leader Nancy Fortunato and Parent Leader Keyna Franklin explain their own journeys and the support they believe all parents need to lead change. Both Jeanette and Nancy began at NYC’s Child Welfare Organizing Project, the first parent advocacy and peer support organization in the country.
Fortunato: When I was a … Read More
Hearing on “Strengthening Prevention and Treatment of Child Abuse and Neglect”
U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Education and Labor Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Human Services March 26, 2019
Good afternoon, Madam Chair Bonamici, Ranking Member Comer, and members of the committee. Thank you for the invitation to be here today. My name is LaCrisha Rose. I currently reside in Cabin Creek WV with my husband and three children Remington, Sawyer and Meadow. I work for … Read More
Interview by Keyna Franklin
Katya Smyth is the CEO and founder of the social change organization The Full Frame Initiative.
Katya Smyth
Q: Can you tell us what you learned about services from running On the Rise to help women in crisis?
A: I knew going in that programs and systems tend to see people as problems. What I came to appreciate is how hard it is even for frontline workers who don’t want to see people that way to … Read More
Photo: Daniel Ames
Interview by Keyna Franklin
Daniel Ames is a Columbia Business School professor who specializes in negotiation.
Q: You’ve taught that it’s important to go into a negotiation with a clear idea of what your goal is. Why is that important?
A: The beginning of preparation for any negotiation is to define success – what is it that you’re trying to achieve? Take a step back to look at the big picture. In child welfare, your goals … Read More
Interview by Keyna Franklin
Kiran Malpe is a social worker with Strong Starts Court Initiative, a program that provides information to judges, lawyers, ACS, and workers about the science of human development and how some court decisions can traumatize families.
Q: Can you tell us about Strong Starts and about your role there?
A: Strong Starts has a dual mission to bring expertise in early child development to all stages of court proceedings, and to strongly support infants … Read More
