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I start alot of threads like this b/c alot of you have followed me for a while, so:
As some of you know, I was a child welfare social worker for ~6 years. First as a preventive social worker (before removal) & then as a permanency social worker (post-removal).
My former boss
As some of you know, I was a child welfare social worker for ~6 years. First as a preventive social worker (before removal) & then as a permanency social worker (post-removal).
My former boss
Hired me w/out a grad degree b/c I am an Afro-Latino who spoke spanish & our catchment area was in Harlem. I don& #39;t think I ever had a white kid on my caseload: instead, my caseload was filled with girls like #makhiabryant. Young Black girls w/ extensive trauma & bad ways to cope.
I say that to anecdotally highlight that the child welfare system is, generally, filled w/ kids that identify as BIPOC. And, believe me, they are angry & scared & in usually bad places. The one saving grace, generally, is school b/c it& #39;s the one thing they can control.
This doesn& #39;t mean they all do well, right, but I& #39;ve gone on school visits where school staff didn& #39;t even know the kid was in foster care. They adjusted that well. They were in sports & had friends & made good grades. All the while hurting b/c they weren& #39;t home w/ their parents.
#mahkiabryant was an Honor Roll student who was in foster care.
She called the police b/c she was fearful for her life. She grabbed a knife b/c she was fearful for her life. In 22 seconds, a police officer shot her 4 times b/c he was "afraid" for his life.
Somehow that& #39;s ok.
She called the police b/c she was fearful for her life. She grabbed a knife b/c she was fearful for her life. In 22 seconds, a police officer shot her 4 times b/c he was "afraid" for his life.
Somehow that& #39;s ok.
I& #39;m TAC-2 trained from when I worked in a Level 5 HS. 80 kids, all kids w/ a behavioral health or mental health or developmental concern.
Kids who had to fight everybody to even make it home. Kids who had been abandoned & assaulted & abused. Kids who had a hard time in school.
Kids who had to fight everybody to even make it home. Kids who had been abandoned & assaulted & abused. Kids who had a hard time in school.
Our staff never called the police unless it was absolutely the last thing they had to & sometimes not even then. I& #39;ve seen staff restrain two kids bigger than them while fighting & keep everybody safe.
I& #39;ve taken knives away from kids & been able to de-escalate them safely.
I& #39;ve taken knives away from kids & been able to de-escalate them safely.
#mahkiabryant should be alive. She shouldn& #39;t be dead b/c she feared for her life. She shouldn& #39;t be dead b/c her specific trauma made her grab a weapon in that moment.
That community, our community, shouldn& #39;t continue being traumatized b/c those who serve to protect can& #39;t.
That community, our community, shouldn& #39;t continue being traumatized b/c those who serve to protect can& #39;t.
I& #39;ve seen white folks assault police officers & not a single shot be fired. There& #39;s always talk of the trauma white folks face & how they can overcome it whenever they& #39;re safely put in a squad car.
I wish our babies, like #mahkiabryant, got that same chance.
I wish our babies, like #mahkiabryant, got that same chance.
