Even in New York City, we've seen some major improvements…
“Even in New York City, we've seen some major improvements from the way the system was 20 years ago. There's still a lot to do - we know that training workers and parents, reducing caseload size, developing therapeutic foster care, strengthening kinship care, and putting more emphasis into preventive care are all solutions. Unfortunately, if a child is in a situation where removal from the home becomes neccessary, there's already been trauma. Putting a traumatized child into a "system," not a home, with strangers is creating a perfect storm for further trauma.”
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Improving child welfare requires better training, smaller caseloads, therapeutic foster care, kinship support, and prevention, but removal can cause additional trauma.
In simple terms: Better systems help children, but removal can worsen trauma.
Key Takeaway
Focus on prevention and supportive care.
Themes
child welfare
trauma
prevention
systemic reform
family support
Mood
concerned
hopeful
Type
policy
advocacy
analytical
When to use this quote
- social work
- policy making
- family court decisions
- foster care placement
Key Concepts
therapeutic foster care
kinship care
caseload management
preventive services
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we reduce the need for removal?
- What preventive measures are most effective?
A Different Perspective
Even with improvements, systemic challenges persist and can exacerbate trauma.