About
Child welfare involved groups including foster youth, foster parents, birth mothers and fathers, and relative and fictive kin caregivers enter the system in an instant and many exit the system reporting having felt alone, not knowing what their rights were, and not knowing what to expect.
But individuals and families are not alone. There are many who are walking or have walked in the shoes of those in and beyond the system.
During the summer months of 2023, Kentucky Youth Advocates, with support from Casey Family Programs, partnered with lived experts to gather the collective wisdom of those with both current and former experience with the child welfare system.
All children and their parents deserve the opportunity to thrive safely and together whenever possible. But sometimes families need a little extra support, which may be outside the home whether that’s from relatives, friends, or community members willing to step up and fill a need. Ideally, we should all be working together for the best interest of the child(ren) and to support families in our communities. When parents, caregivers, and youth are informed and involved throughout the child welfare process, we can ensure the best outcomes in a more just and equitable child and family wellbeing system.
In 2023, Kentucky Youth Advocates, with support from Casey Family Programs, partnered with lived experts to gather the collective wisdom of those with both current and former experience with the child welfare system. The summary of themes, quotes, concerns, and recommendations from those conversations are highlighted in Building the Voices of Lived Experience: Lessons Learned from Navigating the System.
A special thank you to Casey Family Programs for their continued support of this project. Kentucky Youth Advocates is the backbone organization for Building the Voices of Lived Experience: Lessons Learned from Navigating the System project and the Thriving Families, Safer Children Kentucky project.
Navigating the Child Welfare System in Kentucky is a co-design effort alongside lived expert leaders, including the following partners:
