Senior Manager of Child Welfare Policy at Family Equality

“I don’t want to go home.” Imagine a young person in foster care telling their caseworker those words. They don’t explain why at first. Maybe they’re afraid. Maybe they’re trying to find the courage to say something they’ve never said aloud. With time and careful questions, the child reveals that an adult in their home gets angry about how they dress or whom they’re attracted to. What happens next matters. A child welfare worker must understand what’s happening before deciding whether the child is safe. Is this a disagreement? A pattern of rejection or bullying? Are there threats, emotional harm, […]