The Imprint Weekly

 Dr. LaShawnDa Pittman spent years studying the lives of dozens of grandmothers in the Chicago area for her book, Grandmothering While Black. “Despite managing the simultaneity of love and coercion,” she writes, “the Black grandmothers in this study demonstrated their love for their grandchildren in their willingness to provide care, as an extension of parenting and sometimes in place of it.” Dr....

On this week’s episode we talk to Rob Geen, who is leading the new Child Welfare Initiative started by the Bipartisan Policy Center. Some of the initiative’s early activities have included: -A national survey on public attitudes and views about the child welfare system and how it should operate -A landscape assessment based on interviews with those working for, involved with, and directly affected...

On this week’s podcast, we discuss some new legislation aimed at drawing more interest in extended foster care, long-sought data on compliance with the Indian Child Welfare Act, and the use of federal funds for family justice. We also break down yet another child welfare-related lawsuit in New York, and concerns over the precedent set by the conviction of Jennifer Crumbley. Reading Room Bipartisan...

Healing Generations: Nurturing the Inner Child Through Reparenting - A Journey with Dr. Alison Davis Welcome to InnerViews, a new monthly podcast from the Youth Voices Rising program at Fostering Media Connections! InnerViews is not just a podcast; it's an intimate exploration led by Ivory Bennett, a seasoned professional with 17 years of lived foster care experience. Each episode is a deep d...

On this week’s episode we first talked to Kat McCloud about the new season of “Self-Taught,” a podcast from foster youth, for  foster youth that just joined our SafeCamp Audio Network. McCloud talks about the first season of the show, what to expect in the second (which is now out) and how she decides what she is comfortable sharing publicly. Bruce Lesley, president of First Focus on Children, joi...

On our monthly headlines episode, we discuss recent Imprint coverage on a child welfare litigation group’s first big legal challenge, the impact of fentanyl on legislation and policy in child welfare, and the Biden administration’s incremental steps on fines and fees in the juvenile justice system. We also discuss the child welfare case of a transgender teen in Montana, and the state of federal da...

On January 1, two of Washington State’s largest human services providers combined to form a new organization called Akin. The merger of two healthy nonprofits perhaps reflects the alignment of business and outcomes to a new vision for how youth and families are served by governments and their partners. Dave Newell, the first CEO of Akin, returns to The Imprint Weekly podcast to discuss how the mer...

Strategies for Youth (SFY) is one of the few organizations in the country focused on the true front door of the juvenile justice system: interactions between youth and law enforcement officers. Recently, SFY published a collection of model policies for departments to use in making those interactions safer and more productive.  SFY’s Shelley Jackson, who spent decades working on guidance and policy...

As always, we were fortunate to have some amazing guests join us this year on The Imprint Weekly Podcast. In this episode we feature clips of 20 great interviews from 2023.  If you enjoy this podcast, or the great work our reporters do at The Imprint and Fostering Families Today, and the work that our Youth Voices Rising team does, please consider making a donation. And if you do so this month, du...

On this week’s podcast, we break down the new data featured in The Imprint’s “Who Cares” project, which seeks to provide an up-to-date answer on two key questions in child welfare:  How many kids are in foster care today? And where are they living? Every year we obtain answers directly from states on this subject, and surround that with data drawn from the federal Adoption and Foster Care Analysis...

On this week’s podcast, we discuss some headlines that seem to emanate in part from workforce woes, a lawsuit over anonymous reporting, one state’s effort to adjust child welfare policy after marijuana legalization, and missing school while locked up. Lisa Dickson of ACTION Ohio joins us to talk about the annual series of Thanksgiving dinners she helped state for youth in Ohio foster care, the rig...

On this week’s podcast, we discuss some news out of Tennessee that makes a congressional inquiry look bad, and two stories that highlight the intrinsic problem with investigations of abuse within foster care.  We also talk about new research on abortion laws and foster care entries, supportive housing’s impact on reunification, and two cool mapping resources on federal and state spending.  Reading...

Last month, the Biden administration proposed a new rule that would permit the use of federal funding to support attorneys for tribal governments, relatives and other kin, and parents and children at risk of experiencing a family separation.  Jey Rajaraman, associate director of litigation, children and the law for the American Bar Association, spent 16 years leading parent counsel in New Jersey,...

On this week’s podcast, we discuss some upcoming online conversations on self-sufficiency and navigating the holidays, The Imprint’s “Born of History” series, and more information on the Biden administration’s interest in updating a key piece of the Family First Prevention Services Act. Kerrie Lonard, Child Advocate for the State of Kansas, joins us to talk about an interesting survey her office d...

On this week’s episode we discuss action on Capitol Hill around the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, a Congressional investigation that so far includes only one state’s child welfare system, and how programs are reviewed for the Family First Act. Natalece Washington, policy counsel for the National Association of Counsel for Children, to talk about her organization’s campaign to get all 5...

Episode 150! We discuss foster parents seeking adoption before a termination of parental rights, the nexus of foster care and psychiatric facilities and charging parents for child welfare services. Dawn Post joins to discuss her career in child welfare, which includes starting the Broken Adoptions Project in New York City, working on class action litigation around the country and much more. Readin...

On an all-headlines edition of The Imprint Weekly Podcast, Imprint reporter Sara Tiano joins us to discuss her new series on a child welfare worker, also a licensed foster parent, who is losing a fight to adopt her two nephews.  We also discuss some mixed reviews from new research on unconditional cash support, the impact of enduring relationships for older youth in foster care, the future of mand...

On this week’s podcast we break down some major new actions on child welfare taken by the Biden administration around kinship care, legal counsel for parents and children, and LGBTQI+ youth in foster care.  Matt Anderson, host of the new podcast The Proximity Process, joins to discuss his own journey in the world of child welfare and what his plans are for this new show.  Reading Room White House...

On this week’s episode we discuss the rebounding of child poverty rates as COVID-19 era fiscal support went away; truth and reconciliation in South Korea; and a potential Supreme Court case over gender-affirming care  Jody Kent Lavy, co-executive director of the Campaign for The Fair Sentencing of Youth, joins to discuss the history of the campaign, the push to end juvenile life without parole sen...

On this week’s episode we discuss another “Family Miranda” bill becoming law, this time in Arizona; a case against caseworkers headed to verdict; and a damning statement on “Shaken Baby Syndrome.” Christine Norbut Beyer, commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Children and Families, joins to discuss her state’s exit from court oversight after many years, how the system has changed since her e...

On this week’s episode we are joined by Kathy Icenhower, co-founder and CEO of Shields for Families. Three decades ago, against the backdrop of the crack epidemic, Icenhower started Shields out of a run-down trailer provided by the Los Angeles county government with Norma Ntume and Dr. Xylina Bean. It quickly became a pioneering organization in the fight to keep families together while parents pur...

On this week’s episode we discuss another class action lawsuit, this one targeting the extended foster care system in America’s largest local child welfare system. Also: a potentially problematic hiccup in Arizona with one of the first modern state case management systems, and the After Life podcast wins a major award.  Michael D. Davis-Thomas, aka MDDT Speaks, joins to discuss the first two seaso...

On this week’s episode, we discuss another class action lawsuit filed against Indiana’s child welfare agency; housing barriers to reunification; one of America’s most famous adoption stories unravels; and new leaders in child welfare. Kee Tobar, host of Community Legal Services (CLS) of Philadelphia’s podcast “How is That Legal?”, joins to discuss the origins of the show and some of the most impac...

On this week’s episode we talk about some cases over the right to foster and adopt, Washington’s new policy on newborns exposed to drugs, and some recent award-nominated work by The Imprint.  Ivory Bennett, host of Ivory Bennett: The Podcast and new program manager for the Youth Voices Rising program, joins to discuss her plan to take on tough conversations on the show.  Reading Room Adults Being...

On this week’s episode we discuss new data on the use of detention since the COVID-19 pandemic began, a whistleblower in Texas, and the passing of Charles Ogletree. Corey Best, founder of Mining for Gold and host of the Audio Nuggets podcast, joins to discuss how he built his show in the mold of a hip-hop cypher. Reading Room Changing Course in Youth Detention: Reversing Widening Gaps by Race and...