Family Voices United asked current and former foster youth, parents and kinship and relative caregivers:
“What do attorneys representing families in court proceedings need to know to keep families together?”
Some key themes that came out of the responses we received to this question:
● Get to know the family
● Communicate in a way that families can understand
● Recognize when families may need outside support, especially from peers.
How to use this paper
Our hope is that young people, parents and relative caregivers with lived experience in the child welfare system, community organizations, state Family First implementation teams, child welfare agencies, policymakers and other stakeholders will use this document to inform discussions about how to maximize support to families. If you are interested in using the quotes or perspective contained in this document or if you would like to bring young people, parents and relative caregivers to your event or project, email the Family Voices United team at info@familyvoicesunited.org or call 503.717.1552.