When Rise first came out in 2005, I was the Commissioner for the NYC Administration for Children’s Services and I ordered 1,000 copies for the agency. I wanted to make sure that as many of our staff as possible began to be aware of—or grew even more aware of—parents’ perspectives on the work that they do.
Rise helped deepen and broaden my understanding of the experiences of parents in the child welfare system. It broadened my … Read More
One night I was searching the internet for help. My son was about to be released to me from foster care. I never had someone to talk to or to advocate for me while I was dealing with the foster care system. I finally came across Rise magazine at 4 in the morning.
It felt good to know that there were other people going through what I went through. A mother who loses her kids … Read More
I run a nonprofit law firm, Dependency Legal Services, that represents parents and children in child welfare cases in six Northern California counties. I first came across Rise at the American Bar Association conference for parent attorneys.
In a variety of ways, Rise is the right tool for the job.
One thing we are all learning about child welfare is that one of the biggest problems parents deal with is isolation. When I have a … Read More
Interview with Jess Dannhauser, Lynn Brown, Kym Hardy Watson and Peggy Gibbs
We thought that a Rise writing … Read More
Since 2007, I have worked as a recovery coach in Ohio. I cheerlead people in early recovery to get through the scary stuff—usually the first 60 days of being clean. Through the Ohio Child Welfare Training Program, I also train social workers, caseworkers and treatment professionals.
In 2003, I lost custody of my daughter, got pregnant, and ended up voluntarily terminating my rights to the baby. What I know now is very different from what … Read More
