Rise Contributors Melissa Landrau (left) and Mariya Kolesnichenko (right).
When CPS showed up at my door, they came in very aggressive. I had just lost my grandmother, who was my caretaker, and had gone through a break-up with my son’s father. Suddenly I was alone. My son and I ended up in a shelter, and I got a case called in for my son missing school. I was scared, confused and very overwhelmed but I stood … Read More
For poor parents, life often feels like an avalanche of misfortunes that invites judgment, mistrust and even charges of neglect.
Here Daniel Hatcher, author of “The Poverty industry: The exploitation of America’s most Vulnerable Citizens”; Carlyn Hicks, director at mission First Legal aid office in Mississippi; Chris Gottlieb, co-director of New York University’s Family Defense Clinic; Mimi Laver, director of legal education for the American Bar Association’s Center on Children and the Law ; and attorney … Read More
As a parent advocate, I used to advise parents in my support group about the reality of what they would face once their children returned home from foster care. I’d tell them that kids often act out, or don’t seem happy to be home. I’d tell them to try to stay calm and to think about their family’s needs and how to address them. I would tell parents, “I was you, I understand.”
DREAM COME TRUE
My … Read More
