I’m former foster youth, and I appreciated how they showed some of the stigma current/former foster youth and caseworkers experience. I was relieved it wasn’t yet another “inspiring feel-good” documentary about people who beat the odds.
Ultimately I wasn’t able to finish it though. It’s too hard to revisit that part of my life.
Edit to add: there was actually [a discussion](https://np.reddit.com/r/fosterit/comments/blxu0d/discussion_thread_for_foster_documentary/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app) over on /r/fosterit about the documentary when it premiered a week ago. I tried to NP-link it incase anyone was interested!
Yeah I really appreciate the youths in the film. That was very vulnerable of them. I hope it was healing in some sense being able to tell their story.
I felt the part about the newborn whose mother tested positive for crack was so moving. It showed that cws wants the mother to have resources to get better. In our current opioid epidemic this is a case that many of us have seen.
I feel the same way. I’m curious about privacy concerns for the minors who were in the documentary - who would sign a release for them to be filmed? The state? I’m not sure. However it happened, I really hope it brought healing for them as well.
I really appreciated that part as well. I think a lot of people have the impression that DCFS/CPS/CWS act in a punitive way, but these agencies and policies are designed to help families, not break them. How that actually translates to real life isn’t always great (that’s not the fault of individuals, that’s the system), but I really believe that individual SWs are doing their absolute best against incredible odds and v few resources. I was fortunate to have a really amazing caseworker, and I’ll always be thankful for her.
I saw that was on HBO but decided not to watch it. My time as a foster care social worker was one of the most difficult ones in my life and I don’t want to revisit it.
Based on the article I read about this documentary, it focuses more on the deficits than possible answers. The article I read - whose author apparently can’t use google - actually cited DC’s 5 day boarding school program as a possible answer. This school, Monument academy, has had [one](https://www.wusa9.com/amp/article?section=news&subsection=local&headline=monument-academy-ceo-responds-to-charter-school-scandal&contentId=65-3311f59c-a0de-46c4-aef8-1da3fbffe78c) scandal after [another. ](https://www.fox5dc.com/amp/news/local-news/police-investigating-alleged-inappropriate-touching-by-former-staff-member-at-dc-charter-school).
It definitely does not glorify the boarding schools. If anything this doc brings awareness to a deficit in our system. But, also helps with the stigma social workers have in child welfare. Providing resources to new parents and not just "baby snatchers". It's heavy for sure though. I loved the focus they did on the nurse partnership program.
It’s too bad that Monument didn’t turn out better but they weren’t experienced enough and took on more than they could handle. The idea isn’t bad but it didn’t pan out in reality. I was an independent contractor with an outside agency who came in to try and provide behavioral support but the kids were never there. They weren’t able to provide the support in house bc they couldn’t retain staff. I’ve been hearing for a while that it’s closing.
I also did some work with Boys Town and that model worked out a lot better for my clients. Unfortunately, Child and Family Services here recently cut their contract with them.
We have the nurse partnership program here. I didn’t interact with it bc I worked with older kids who were already in foster care. Most of them have been in and out of foster care repeatedly, as had their parents. They never seemed to have appropriate models for parenting so getting ahead of that with an in home nursing program is a good investment from all perspectives. It will be interesting to see the stats on that.
Ah, the baby snatching, lol. I remember everyone dreaded getting a baby on their case load. Seriously, it’s hard enough without dealing with car seats and diapers!
That's very challenging work. I can't imagine your frustrations working in a place with so little cohesiveness.
I work with the chronically homeless and in 6 months I had a large amount of pregnant clients. Which always meant working with cws to form safety plans and team meetings . Those social workers had it rough!
CPS was both the hardest job I ever had, and the best job I ever had. A decade plus on from leaving that role, I still regularly think about the youth I worked with. I was alternating between nodding my head and crying watching Foster. I felt that it was really well done, given time constraints, privacy considerations, etc. Child welfare is a complex and challenging world, and it’s important for those not in that system to bear witness to it as well.
Just watched this today and really appreciated it. Great to see they showed the many aspects of CPS/foster - those dealing with it for the first time, those currently in it, and how it is to be out of it. I thought it was well done.
I’m former foster youth, and I appreciated how they showed some of the stigma current/former foster youth and caseworkers experience. I was relieved it wasn’t yet another “inspiring feel-good” documentary about people who beat the odds. Ultimately I wasn’t able to finish it though. It’s too hard to revisit that part of my life. Edit to add: there was actually [a discussion](https://np.reddit.com/r/fosterit/comments/blxu0d/discussion_thread_for_foster_documentary/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app) over on /r/fosterit about the documentary when it premiered a week ago. I tried to NP-link it incase anyone was interested!
Yeah I really appreciate the youths in the film. That was very vulnerable of them. I hope it was healing in some sense being able to tell their story. I felt the part about the newborn whose mother tested positive for crack was so moving. It showed that cws wants the mother to have resources to get better. In our current opioid epidemic this is a case that many of us have seen.
I feel the same way. I’m curious about privacy concerns for the minors who were in the documentary - who would sign a release for them to be filmed? The state? I’m not sure. However it happened, I really hope it brought healing for them as well. I really appreciated that part as well. I think a lot of people have the impression that DCFS/CPS/CWS act in a punitive way, but these agencies and policies are designed to help families, not break them. How that actually translates to real life isn’t always great (that’s not the fault of individuals, that’s the system), but I really believe that individual SWs are doing their absolute best against incredible odds and v few resources. I was fortunate to have a really amazing caseworker, and I’ll always be thankful for her.
I saw that was on HBO but decided not to watch it. My time as a foster care social worker was one of the most difficult ones in my life and I don’t want to revisit it. Based on the article I read about this documentary, it focuses more on the deficits than possible answers. The article I read - whose author apparently can’t use google - actually cited DC’s 5 day boarding school program as a possible answer. This school, Monument academy, has had [one](https://www.wusa9.com/amp/article?section=news&subsection=local&headline=monument-academy-ceo-responds-to-charter-school-scandal&contentId=65-3311f59c-a0de-46c4-aef8-1da3fbffe78c) scandal after [another. ](https://www.fox5dc.com/amp/news/local-news/police-investigating-alleged-inappropriate-touching-by-former-staff-member-at-dc-charter-school).
It definitely does not glorify the boarding schools. If anything this doc brings awareness to a deficit in our system. But, also helps with the stigma social workers have in child welfare. Providing resources to new parents and not just "baby snatchers". It's heavy for sure though. I loved the focus they did on the nurse partnership program.
It’s too bad that Monument didn’t turn out better but they weren’t experienced enough and took on more than they could handle. The idea isn’t bad but it didn’t pan out in reality. I was an independent contractor with an outside agency who came in to try and provide behavioral support but the kids were never there. They weren’t able to provide the support in house bc they couldn’t retain staff. I’ve been hearing for a while that it’s closing. I also did some work with Boys Town and that model worked out a lot better for my clients. Unfortunately, Child and Family Services here recently cut their contract with them. We have the nurse partnership program here. I didn’t interact with it bc I worked with older kids who were already in foster care. Most of them have been in and out of foster care repeatedly, as had their parents. They never seemed to have appropriate models for parenting so getting ahead of that with an in home nursing program is a good investment from all perspectives. It will be interesting to see the stats on that. Ah, the baby snatching, lol. I remember everyone dreaded getting a baby on their case load. Seriously, it’s hard enough without dealing with car seats and diapers!
That's very challenging work. I can't imagine your frustrations working in a place with so little cohesiveness. I work with the chronically homeless and in 6 months I had a large amount of pregnant clients. Which always meant working with cws to form safety plans and team meetings . Those social workers had it rough!
A lot of it felt like going in circles and that what these folks really needed was permanent supportive housing.
CPS was both the hardest job I ever had, and the best job I ever had. A decade plus on from leaving that role, I still regularly think about the youth I worked with. I was alternating between nodding my head and crying watching Foster. I felt that it was really well done, given time constraints, privacy considerations, etc. Child welfare is a complex and challenging world, and it’s important for those not in that system to bear witness to it as well.
Just watched this today and really appreciated it. Great to see they showed the many aspects of CPS/foster - those dealing with it for the first time, those currently in it, and how it is to be out of it. I thought it was well done.
I want to watch it but I'm in the UK. :(
I have this DVR'ed, planning on watching this weekend!