How Parent Advocates May Be Able to Support You
Parent advocates are parents who have also had a child protection investigation or had their children removed from their care, and who have then become experts on the system so that they can help other parents who are now going through a similar family crisis.
In this interview with Taliah Drayak, director of IPAN, you can learn more about how one parent advocate does her job.
Q: What is the initial reaction of parents who have just found out that they’re under investigation or who have had their child removed from them? As a parent advocate, how do you support them at that moment?
A: Parents who are facing a child protective investigation don’t know what’s going to happen to them or their children. They likely don’t know who reported them, causing them to lose trust in neighbors, friends, school staff, and others. Parents under investigation, especially those who are financially burdened, may lack the resources necessary to navigate the child welfare system. These challenges often result in parents feeling alone, isolated and fearful.
When I first meet with parents who have just found out that they’re under investigation, my priority is to listen and make them feel like they’re being heard. I want to learn about their concerns and fears, and quickly assess their gaps in information, especially if this is a new experience for them. Parents that come to me are stressed and upset, and may find the process complicated, confusing, and scary. I will let them know the next steps in the process, look for ways to assign parents to the correct services, and help them feel less alone.
Q: What are the various kinds of services that you try to connect parents to?
A: The number one support that I aim to connect all parents with is a lawyer. I also try to connect them to an advocate like myself.Beyond that, the services I refer parents to depend on their situation. Some parents just want information, while others need one-on-one live help. I assess what challenges parents are facing outside of the investigation, such as substance abuse, disability, chronic illness, poverty, and I direct them to organizations that I feel will fit their exact needs.
Those resources might include housing, applying for social security benefits and other financial support, disability benefits, therapy, substance abuse treatment. I try to help parents create or draw on their own support network. I also offer to review finances and provide debt management. I try to do anything that can help parents stabilize their lives as early in the process as possible, so that when workers show up to determine what they think should happen, they can show what’s already working.
Q: Where in the process of a child welfare case do you feel parent advocates can have the greatest impact on the outcome of the case?
A: Right at the beginning, before the full investigation. If you act fast, you can make a quick positive change. Once a decision is made to remove a child from the home, the new normal becomes the status quo. According to the court, kids in foster care are now safe so they have little motivation to change that. Unfortunately, there’s not a lot of clarity in the investigation process, and often parents don’t realize they’re under investigation until it’s too late. But whenever possible, as early as possible is the best time to work with a parent.
Q: How do you measure your success as a parent advocate?
A: To me, little wins in a case are just as amazing as big wins like getting a child back home. Incremental steps are really important, for example, pushing for monthly, then weekly, then overnight visits for a parent. My goal is for children to be safe and at home with their families, but the process is often slow and that goal is not always initially possible. In most cases, though, it is eventually possible with the right support. I believe that supporting parents now can avoid challenges continuing for generations.