Cissy's note: I admire the work of this parent-led and parent-focused organization. I read everything they post. For those not familiar with what they do, this is a recent interview with three staffers and gives a really good look at what and how they work to support families and make systems change. Here's an excerpt. The full piece is here.
Supporting parents and working to change the system brings meaning to advocates’ lives. But it’s also painful work. Here, Rise Training Director Jeanette Vega, Senior Parent Leader Nancy Fortunato and Parent Leader Keyna Franklin explain their own journeys and the support they believe all parents need to lead change. Both Jeanette and Nancy began at NYC’s Child Welfare Organizing Project, the first parent advocacy and peer support organization in the country.
Fortunato: When I was a parent affected by the child welfare system, I understood what it was like to feel powerless, shamed and judged, but I had no knowledge of how to advocate for myself and my family. I entered CWOP’s parent advocacy training program because my experience with the system left me wanting to empower myself and give back to parents like me. It was an inspirational experience. There were about 10 parents and we quickly bonded because we all knew what it was like to have ACS come into our lives.
Speakers came to teach us the history of the system, how it works and how bias and racism affect families of color and the LGBTQ community, while lawyers explained the legal aspects of the system. The training helped me understand that many families in my community fight adversaries in many systems, like the police, the schools and mental health services. It helped me put myself in the parents’ shoes while also giving me the ability to work with professionals in the system. Most of all, it gave me a feeling of support, and that gave me the courage to stand up for myself and my family and to fight for other parents and their rights.
THE POWER OF OUR VOICES
Vega: Attending rallies and going to City Hall with CWOP to give and hear testimony helped us understand the big picture of what we were fighting for. We learned to not be afraid to share our perception of the system.
Through CWOP’s training, I also began writing for Rise. I was very reluctant to tell my story. Most people I knew didn’t even know my son had been in foster care! As I began to write, my tears would roll down. But other advocates encouraged me to share my experience. When I finally told the heartfelt story of my son’s removal, I could feel my heart not hurt as much.
Fortunato: When I wrote my first story, the challenging part was going back to that moment when ACS was involved with my family. Some of those memories you really don’t want to remember. But it was a healing process as well. It sat with me, and then it hit me, “I’m really done and it’s over.” I saw that I was able to stand strong in the midst of chaos. Seeing on paper how I had overcome all those struggles also helped me better understand how to build other parents up.
To read more of this piece recently published in Rise Magazine, go here.
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