Statistics Don't Come From A Vacuum

Negative foster care statistics do not come from a vacuum. They are positively and negatively influenced by systemic factors. This chart provides examples. 

Decisions made in a vacuum are those that are made without the necessary data, information, or knowledge. They may also be made without the right people with the right perspectives, experiences, and influence.

It's important to consider the context of data when making decisions. For example, the educational outcomes of foster youth are impacted by systemic factors such as:

• 5 school changes on average
• Delays in enrollment
• Credits not transferring
• Never the same textbook
• Hard to catch up on work
• Some youth have IEPs
• Trauma undermines learning
• Delays in permission slips
• Feel discouraged; too far behind

A Fourth Loss: Kimberly Rhyan

The Columbus State Scholar Network is in my heart this week. This beautiful, loving community has lost three irreplaceable people in one year. 

Kimberly Rhyan created such a ripple effect everywhere she went that she literally inspired her own oncologist’s office. 

The seeds she planted with the Scholar Network have grown into oak trees with deep roots. Her work with the former HEMI program (which needs to return and/or inspire a similar program) will also always be treasured and remembered. 

Three Losses in One Year

It is raining in my heart today...

The state of Ohio has lost three foster care alumni this year:

• In March, we lost Alexis Smith.
• In June, we lost Jerri Braswell. 
• This week, we lost Nikki Chinn. 

We will weather through, as we always do -- but it's important to acknowledge that we have had so many losses within one year.

Footprints on the Road

Those of us who "age out" of foster care, kinship care, residential, and disrupted adoptive placements aren't just trying to build our futures, and make things better for others.

We are also working to put together the pieces of each of our pasts. This is a big deal - and this is a big journey.

Years have passed, but, as a big sister of the foster care system, I still remember this personal journey so clearly. I didn't purchase a car until after college and graduate school. I didn't want to spend money on the bus, and I liked exercise, so I walked everywhere.

There is a road in my hometown that I traveled so many times during my college and graduate school years that it should have my footprints on it.

As I walked up and down that road, puzzle pieces from my past would often come up in the form of memories, and I would jot them down on pieces of paper. So, not only was I getting from one place to another, but I was also quilting some of the patchwork pieces from my past together.

How A Bill Becomes a Law At a State Level

 

Click to enlarge

Link to handout.
Link to tree swing diagram, which reflects the legislative process.

Family Privilege Vs. Experiencing Abuse and Neglect

 This needs to be talked about more often:

Click to enlarge

Trampoline Park with the Kiddos

We spent three hours there. 

Link to more photos. 

Let's keep moving mountains, stone by stone

Loved my time spent with Nikki Chinn painting rocks on Friday, August 2, 2024. 

When the Ohio foster care youth and alumni movement first started in 2006, my signature line was: "It is possible to move a mountain by moving small stones."  These are some of the stones that we are working to move this fall... 

Stay turned for progress on seeking to ensure that youth safety is the North Star, that youth concerns aren't screened out when they reach out to child abuse hotlines, and better protections for youth who run away to escape abusive situations.