Sarah Winograd’s journey as a “professional volunteer” led to the realization that poverty was a driving factor in the child removals in the families she was working with. See how Sarah mobilized her community to address family poverty to help families stay together. Through the Together for Families program, Sarah lives out her vision of supporting families by helping them meet basic needs. Show Notes00:00:30 | Matt opens this episode reflecting on the child welfare system’s associatio...
Jul 27, 2022
47 min
Cherie Craft, the founding CEO and Executive Director of Smart from the Start, talks about her organization’s unique approach to engaging communities and addressing conditions to enhance child and family well-being. Cherie references a previous episode of Seen Out Loud with Matthew Jackson to explain how Smart from the Start builds trust with families. Cherie also offers advice for other organizational leaders on relationship building, reducing recidivism rates, and incorporating social justi...
Jul 13, 2022
50 min
In this episode, Matthew Jackson explains how the community conditions he grew up in influenced the trajectory of his life into adulthood, and the difficulties he experienced with leaving “Jungle” in the past and charting a new path for the betterment of his family. Listen as Matthew shares his story as a single father, passionately invested in his daughter’s life, and how he’s helping other dads, with similar beginnings in Boston, MA and Washington, D.C. [Warning: This conversation cont...
Jun 29, 2022
43 min
Keri Hope Richmond, Child Welfare Policy Advocate, Speaker, joins conversation on engaging storytellers with lived experience with the child welfare system. Listen as Keri talks about her experiences sharing her story about navigating foster care—some empowering and some not—and the lessons she’s learned along the way. She also passes along advice to organizations on the do’s and don’t’s in engaging storytellers with lived expertise.Show Notes 00:02:55 | When was the first time Keri pub...
Jun 15, 2022
30 min
Pick up where part one left off with Sana L. Cotten on her journey to find answers about her family history. In this episode, Sana, who has never met her father, goes on a 10-year search to locate her paternal family and find belonging. She reflects on how her unfulfilled need for family connection after entering foster care has impacted her through adulthood. Show Notes 00:00:30 | S2 E3: In Search of Belonging with Sana L. Cotten, Part One is a prelude to the conversation that con...
Jun 1, 2022
28 min
Determined to discover where she came from, Sana L. Cotten recalls her ventures to uncover her past, face her family’s trauma, and reconnect with relatives who are part of her story. Hear from Sana how the process of learning about her birth family after adoption has helped her break generational cycles, shape her identity, and begin a journey to healing through empathy. Trigger Warning: Descriptions of rape and sex trafficking Show Notes 00:01:19 | Meet Sana L. Cotten, as she reca...
May 18, 2022
35 min
Gina Wassemiller is a mother of three and a passionate parent ally. In the short film “Being Gina” she shares her evolution from being a parent struggling with substance use disorder, domestic abuse, and the removal of her children to being a leader at the F.I.R.S.T. Legal Clinic. This organization supports new mothers experiencing substance use challenges with legal advocacy and other services to prevent Child Protective Services removals. Gina is also a contracted Social Service Specialist ...
May 4, 2022
21 min
Dr. Bruce Perry and Matt pick up from their conversation in Season 1 to dive deeper into strategies for creating positive change for families. Hear Dr. Bruce Perry give his advice for organizations like the Institute for Family on what it takes to make an impact—from shifting mindsets through storytelling to creating sustainable connections in communities. Show Notes 00:02:00 | Picking up from S1 E3: PEOPLE CHANGE THROUGH STORIES, Matt recalls a compelling statement from Dr. Bruce ...
Apr 20, 2022
31 min
On this bonus episode celebrating social work month, Jaquia Wilson returns to the mic with her former social worker Raven Mitchell. Hear from Jaquia and Raven about the solid foundation they built during Jaquia’s time in foster care. Get insight on the importance of relationship-building between youth in care and social workers and how impactful Raven has been on Jaquia’s early years. Show Notes 00:00:36 | On S1, E5: CRACK THE CONCRETE WHEN YOU WALK we meet Jaquia Wilson and l...
Mar 17, 2022
12 min
From the national to community level, hear how the movement to prioritize family well-being is gaining momentum. In this season finale, three guests give insight on conversations taking place across the country around supporting families and recognizing their value. Jerry Milner, former Associate Commissioner at the Children’s Bureau, shares his perspective on the progress of the child welfare transformation work on a national scale. Sharee Pemberton and Commissioner Hope B. Haywood of a rura...
Nov 19, 2021
33 min
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