“It’s unfair that you get to spend Thanksgiving with your family and you’re not letting me have my kids home,” my client said. I felt guilty and it did feel unfair.
After the home visit, I returned to the agency and pleaded with the administrators to allow the children to spend Thanksgiving with their mother.
“Sorry, Joselyn. We can’t risk having the kids home given the allegations.”
I wanted so badly to give this mother something to feel … Read More
Lindsay Reilly (Read by Nancy Fortunato)
LINDSAY/NANCY
Can I call your attention in the courtroom
To the mother with mental illness
With multiple kids and multiple fathers
Who was raised by a system
That never loved her
By people who never loved her
Who gave birth to 4 beautiful children
Stemmed from a poisonous father each time
Those who promised to love her hurt her
The mother who tried to be loved
So hard she lost herself
Guns, drugs, unlawful imprisonment
But she’s still here
She looks at her … Read More
This spring, Rise parent leaders presented to all 250 Administration for Children’s Services attorneys who represent the child welfare system in family court. (The division is called Family Court Legal Services, or FCLS.) Rise parent leaders routinely present to newly-hired FCLS attorneys. Here is their presentation:
Rise trains parents to write and speak about their experiences with the child welfare system. The insights you’ll hear today are based on the personal essays Rise has developed with … Read More
In 2018, Rise parent leaders were asked to provide input to the Administration for Children’s Services on training for child protective investigators. Our team worked with 20 life experienced parents to develop feedback, including parent advocates working at foster care and legal agencies and parents with recent foster care cases. Jeanette Vega, Nancy Fortunato and Robbyne Wiley developed the presentation. Here is their presentation:
Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you for the opportunity to present parents’ perspectives … Read More
I met my caseworker Gloria when I went to rehab after I got the case. The first time we met, she explained how she could help me get my kids back if I put forth the effort. It was hard to believe her because she worked for the same people who took the ones I loved. But she let me know that my children belonged with me, that she believed in me and that I … Read More
