Women’s History Month is a time to reflect on the ways in which women throughout history have impacted our communities and our cultures. For us at CASA, it also provides an opportunity to reflect on the unique ways that being involved in the child welfare system affects women, both as parents and as children.
Over the next few weeks we will be sharing a story of a woman who spent time in the foster care system. It’ll be broken up into parts, and there will be a part at the end of each piece noting how her story relates to others who have been in situations like hers.
In her story, she discusses the events that led up to her removal, her experiences being moved from placement to placement, her early emancipation at 17 ½ years old, and the ways that these experiences have impacted her, both during that time and since.
We encourage you to read this story because her story is like many others’. It’s a story of how a young woman had to deal with trauma and loss through no fault of her own. It’s a story that demonstrates her resilience and the resilience of many others who have walked her path. And it’s a story of how the systems for which we are all responsible can alter the course of a life.
