Youth and Family Perspectives

In child welfare cases, youth and families enter the court system with little information and very high stakes. Andrew Bridge, a former foster child who is now a Harvard-educated child advocate, says the system doesn't have a history of "respecting the integrity and values of families in poverty." He contends that stories about foster youth tend to focus on abuses they've endured, not their internal lives and opinions. To learn more about the perspectives of youth and families touched by the child welfare system:

Hope’s Boy: A Memoir, 2008, Hyperion
In his new memoir, Bridge recounts how missteps by the courts and the child welfare system left him lonely and feeling abandoned. He also details some of his work as a legal advocate for foster youth in Alabama and California. He argues passionately for keeping contact between youth and their families whenever possible. Listen to Bridge interviewed on NPR.

“Consulting with Youth on Permanency,” Office of the (Colorado) Child’s Representative
This DVD aims to deepen understanding of the needs of youth aging out of care, with a focus on the need to demystify court processes so young people are better able to participate. It includes youth describing their desire to be involved in the fundamental decisions that affect their lives. For DVD ordering information, please email us.

Three Little Words: A Memoir, 2008, Atheneum
Adoptee Ashley Rhodes-Courter tells the story of her wrenching years in foster care, and her struggle to succeed, find her own voice and advocate for foster children nationwide.

The Heart Knows Something Different: Teenage Voices from the Foster Care System, 1996, Youth Communication
Teens write about their struggles and their successes in navigating families and the foster care and court systems.

Represent and Rise magazines
Each month, birth families and current and former foster youth share stories of their lives in heartfelt and candid essays. In a recent Represent interview, basketball star and former foster child Alonzo Mourning talked about important influences in his life, from “teachers and coaches to my foster parent and my biological parents…” He adds that “despite being in care, my biological parents were still good, inspiring people in my life.”