I feel like I have always been a mother; it is my most important role. I have six kids and two little grandbabies, and I cherish the privilege of our connection. I started adulthood early as a young, single mother trying to pursue my education while struggling with poverty and substance use disorder. I desperately wanted a better life for myself and my family, but I was unclear of how to achieve this goal. As I struggled through my own child welfare system involvement, I had mentors and advocates that supported me along the way. This amazing network of people afforded me with resources and increasing self-efficacy to begin my journey of growth. When I realized how paramount their support was to my success, the gap between me and my purpose melted away. I wanted to emulate their behavior and professional accomplishments, helping families find their voice and speak their truth. I delved into advocacy work and that led me discover my passion and niche of teaching parents to self-advocate through the Parents for Parents (P4P) program.
I joined Children’s Home Society of Washington (CHSW) as the national family impact program manager for the Parents for Parents program in early 2021 with my humble belief that the child welfare system needs to be reformed, and that parents are a small part of the problem and a huge part of the solution. I believe that strength-based approaches and models like P4P are designed to empower parents to understand how to navigate complex systems, make connections and build relationships rooted in transparency, trust and compassion. This is key to inspiring parents to see past their current circumstances, so they can strive for the life and happiness they are worthy of living. I know that we are only as strong as our partners, so as the national family impact program manager, I will be intentionally building relationships with communities across our country to introduce, adapt and implement P4P and these values into their child welfare systems.
The P4P program is an early engagement, peer mentoring and education program that serves families who are involved in the child welfare dependency court system. Parents like me, (called parent allies) who have successfully navigated the system, empower parents who are new to navigating the system and may be struggling with issues like lack of resources, quality services and other barriers that hinder their access and capacity to receive the support they need to heal their family. Parent allies bridge the gap by providing a positive story and viable pathways that instill hope for parents. We act as translators of experience across social classes and refresh life within not only parents involved in the system, but also with stakeholders working in the system to demonstrate that transformation is possible and “people change, families reunite.” It brings great joy to my heart to have received so many warm welcomes into the CHSW family, it is a privilege to serve with you.
