The power of being seen: we can transform the child welfare system | Matt Anderson | TEDxGreensboro

The child welfare system is not designed for individual success. Children move among foster care settings with insufficient regard for their growth and well being. The real goal should be family transformation. Matt Anderson is a social worker with a vision to transform
the child welfare system. Anderson, a vice president at the
Children’s Home Society of North Carolina and an
award-winning documentary producer, believes in the
power of listening to and learning from people’s stories
and acting together to create change. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx

[@claudiasteinwald8952]

Where is Cody now? If we help ONE child we will start the healing, we will help many. Love spreads. This is hope for our children!!

[@allthingseducation]

They need to talk to those of us who are older -- I am 60 -- who were in foster care to learn the long term effects. And all parents and family situations cannot and should not be saved.

[@aaaaallllld7576]

Yeah it's pretty convenient he left out the part about what caused Cody to be removed from his family, and how those factors may have contributed to his placement instability throughout the following years.

[@HelloWhatsYourName1]

Could you tell me about your experience then? I'm interested in knowing how you and other primary stakeholders feel about it?

[@christylee35004]

This is really powerful. I was in and out of group homes and detention centers as a teenager. I am 46 now and in one year I’ll be done with Social Work . I plan to work with teenagers and hopefully make a difference in at least one life. Thank you for this. Is there a place we can watch the documentary?

[@AngelA010201]

An idea to help families would be to provide on going parenting classes in elementary schools throughout the country. Parents need that more than we know.

[@catherinesantoro]

You are asking the right questions Matt. Even though the dynamics of abuse vary other countries, the questions are the same. Poverty does not equal neglect and there are ever increasing numbers into foster care.

[@sabiendeklerck489]

Thank you Matt for sharing your story and your hopeful vision with us; we can listen and learn together, shift power and discover a world of opportunity! Love that!

[@whitneyhanson8571]

It hurts literally so bad being separated from my kids. It's been almost two years now. I started going to college this year to be a lawyer. I want to help families. Mine got ripped apart the day after my daughter was born over a false drug test. And then the court ignored the evidence it was false. My case worker only sees me ten min once a month. She only sees my son every other month. She has never supervised a visit (the foster mom does it) So she doesn't have the time to get to know me or hear me or my kids stories. We are almost never heard. Almost never seen. But she makes all these big decisions without ever taking that time. We aren't super wealthy so we couldn't get a lawyer until recently. There is not much hope for some of us. I'm defiantly not perfect. I've made mistakes. But I'm still human. I still exist. I'm still valuable. And so are my children. We are so close 🤞🤞

[@heatherweimer9977]

Im going through something similar......Its horrible.

[@lucysprague-vg9fi]

We need to abolish family policing. upEND Movement. I have lived it as the mother of twins who ended up in foster care, I'm an RN,BSN. No one is immune to deception, setup and system abuse. The trauma, PTSD, pain suffering is unbelievable. Never judge anyone touched by this abusive monster.

[@angelamcguffie3010]

My son was removed after his dad died and he missed a lot of school. That’s after both his uncles died the year before his dad and our best friend died the night of the funeral in hospice in front of us. Yes he was in mental health treatment. I put him in at 4ths old to take action ahead of the oncoming bipolar disorder both his dad and I have. So they put him n a shelter. Tried to say in court I smoke Pt with my son. I don’t smoke pot ask my po she has 2 years of urine drug screens that I requested to stay clean and never ever had pot in my system. I hate it. They said they don’t care. They’ve since made many different excuses for why he’s not home with his mom. Bcus my lawyer asked every hearing when mom was doing substantial improvement. They told all kinds of lies. He was in a school justice program trying to be a police officer and CYF changed his mental health provider without my input. And stopped his meds. They cured him. I was told he’s not mentally I’ll he’s “kind, smart and happy he can’t be mentally ill” they said that to me when I begged repeatedly to pay attention he’s not ok. He goes to school daily that is all they care about. He goes to get away from foster care and to see his friends that he can’t see at home anymore. Forced compliance does not equal happy. My son decompDecompensated gradually all the wild me complaining he ran away for a week it right away for a month each time be telling them this is a manic episode and I’m being told no he’s just being bad he’s looking for attention he’s just a teenager blah blah blah no I have my phone for his dad to the same exact thing when he was his age with bipolar disorder. And I’m a trained mental health case manager. Disabled now but I know what I’m talking about He dropped out of 12th grade and refused to even talk to anyone til he went home to me. The judge talked to him in private and sent him home immediately! They destroyed his life He’s too far gone to go back He can’t do the justice program he got arrested on the run. He’s inpatient now for suicide attempt I had him in mh care since 4 to pre ent this. They should not be allowed to do any of what they do

[@waysidewaco7389]

Child welfare kidnapped my newborns while I was still laying in the hospital bed. Sickening.

[@naimanaima-zb5lv]

Did you have them returned to you?

[@Corruptiondotorg]

A social worker talking about how we can "fix" the system as this child describes his trauma by the very system he is propping up... he still doesn't get it.

[@brandy195]

Yes but then there's the power of choice which is up to the parents. I do not regret the government dishing out years of guidance and over 50k a family of services but at the end of the day there's the power of choice.

[@Corruptiondotorg]

Two years later and the system continues to harm families.

[@theresadaynorowicz7520]

This comment is coming from Levittown Pa Bristol township bucks County My daughter's child went into CPS 2half yrs old Mya 2 yrs later Theresa my daughter took her life This Ted talk says CPS is suppose to familyfind to keep family together this is not true a genetic profile is to be conducted to find family Did not take place I'm think the cost but some had told me other Now Mya has been adopted and I'm picking up the pieces I know Mya will suffer from this She lived her mom her mom took care of her Theresa became ill and never recovered I'm trying to make contact and feel om being brushed off WHY I am Mya family if I do nothing What will she become ??? I need to know my name is Theresa Daynorowicz the only person alive with this name

[@aaaaallllld7576]

Neglect can be intentional, so this idea that neglect is not harmful is wrong. Withholding resources is a form that abuse often takes, and can appear as restricted access to stuff like food, hygiene, social interaction, information/education and safety, even when those resources are available. What is the source for the claim, "with every $1 increase in the minimum wage, there's a 9-10% decrease in child maltreatment"?