Trusting the Process
"Keep going when it feels messy, when it’s frustrating, when it feels like it may not be working, when you feel pushback, when you feel hopeless at times. We are not doing this for us. We are doing this for the families and communities we serve because they deserve better, and one day at a time, one meeting at a time, we become one step closer to keeping families safely together."
Before co-designing with Rock County HSD and impacted parents from the Rock County community, Alia spent two years partnering with Rock County staff and leadership to engage in workforce resilience and belonging and community co-design readiness efforts. This work created trust and alignment in the workforce, and ensured Rock County staff and leadership were prepared to authentically engage and partner with their community in the transformational work ahead. While these were (and are) critical prerequisites to co-design, we know that readiness work can feel challenging and frustrating at times for our system partners.
Jordyn Jenkins, a Rock County Human Services staff member, shares her reflections on the process of engaging in this work with Alia and now, looking back, how she's connected the pieces and can see how much has been accomplished towards the goal of keeping families safely together.
News & Insights
from Team Alia
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Since receiving a Bush Fellowship in 2015, Alia Founder and Executive Officer Amelia Franck Meyer further focused her efforts on transforming the U.S. child welfare system. The Bush Foundation published an original article about Amelia in 2019, and it has now been revisited to highlight the work and progress that's been made since. Read the revisited article.
Alia is proud of child welfare reform happening right in our backyard. Recently, the MN House of Representatives passed the African American Family Preservation Act and the Child Welfare Disproportionality Act, aiming to keep families together by prioritizing reunification and support systems. Thank you to all the families and community advocates, and Rep. Esther Agbaje for your leadership! Read about the legislative news.
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Feeling overwhelmed by the amount of work required to UnSystem the System? You're not alone. Fortunately, there are plenty of changes on the horizon to look forward to. Alia Associate Director of Learning Christi Carmouze shares her audacious optimism on the future of child welfare as more and more conversations, policies, and resources prioritize keeping children safely with their families. Read Christi's blog.
Bright Spots Resource
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This month, we're highlighting the Bright Spots resource Stronger Together, the first program of its kind in the U.S. which strives to provide grief support to mothers who have had their parental rights terminated, facilitated by licensed professionals. Based in Minneapolis, Stronger Together has worked with more than 100 mothers since 2019.
Bellis, the nonprofit that facilitates Stronger Together, advocates for parental rights in the legal system to reduce family separations. Stronger Together provides essential support that reaffirms that impacted parents' are worthy of hearing and healing.
Explore this resource and more on the Bright Spots website!