Broken: Transforming Child Protective Services―Notes of a Former Caseworker
- Downloads：5763
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2024-03-08 15:22:25
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Jessica Pryce
- ISBN：0063036193
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
Joining the ranks of Evicted and The New Jim Crow ， a former caseworker’s searing， clear-eyed investigation of the child welfare system—from foster care to incarceration—that exposes the deep-rooted biases shaping the system， witnessed through the lives of several Black families。 Dr。 Jessica Pryce knows the child welfare system firsthand and， in this long overdue book， breaks it down from the inside out， sharing her professional journey and offering the crucial perspectives of caseworkers and Black women impacted by the system。 It is a groundbreaking and eye-opening confrontation of the inherent and systemic racism deeply entrenched within the child welfare system。 Pryce started her social work career with an internship where she was committed to helping keep children safe。 In the book， she walks alongside her close friends and even her family as they navigate the system， while sharing her own reckoning with the requirements of her job and her role in the systemic harm。 Through poignant narratives and introspection， readers witness the harrowing effects of a well-intentioned workforce that has lost its way， demonstrating how separations are often not in a child’s best interests。 With a renewed commitment to strengthening families in her role as activist， Pryce invites the child welfare workforce to embark on a journey of self-reflection and radical growth。 At once a framework for transforming child protective services and an intimate， stunning first-hand account of the system as it currently operates， Broken takes everyday scenarios as its focus rather than extreme child welfare cases， challenging readers to critically examine their own mindsets and biases in order to reimagine how we help families in need。
Reviews
Rachel （storybookcorner）
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I first heard about this book being published on the Nobody Should Believe Me podcast with host Andrea Dunlop。 I followed the Maya Kowalski trial that is discussed in that podcast， and the case was very briefly mentioned in this book。 I come at this from a different side， as a former state approved foster/adoptive parent。 I was truly interested to hear Jessica's views from the inside of CPS。 We can all imagine how it works， how it's run on the inside， the policies， the procedures， the workings o I first heard about this book being published on the Nobody Should Believe Me podcast with host Andrea Dunlop。 I followed the Maya Kowalski trial that is discussed in that podcast， and the case was very briefly mentioned in this book。 I come at this from a different side， as a former state approved foster/adoptive parent。 I was truly interested to hear Jessica's views from the inside of CPS。 We can all imagine how it works， how it's run on the inside， the policies， the procedures， the workings of a permanency plan， etc。 We all know this system is broken。 The social workers and investigators are overworked and burned out。 That alone should be red flags that the system is broken and change needs to happen now。 The system should not run the same for every call and every family。 No two calls are the same。 Every family and every situation is different。I will say that from my pov in a different city & state than Jessica， in every foster parent training class， we （my husband and fellow foster parents） were told the goal is and always will be reunification， if not with the parents， at least with biological family members。 We were told this by our social workers， case workers， attorneys， GAL， etc。 We were encouraged to interact with the biological family of foster placements and praise them when they would accomplish a goal on the perm。 plan and reassure them that their child was doing okay despite the interruption of their home life。 I wanted so badly to be an encouragement to our bio families， to interact with them， and let them know we were in their corner。 Bio families need better support。 Don't judge a family without all the facts。 Don't assume every family should be condemned because that is absolutely not the case。 Unfortunately， we never had a case while our home was open that we were able to do that。 We chose to close our home after our adoption。 Fostering is not for the faint of heart。 It's not all sunshine and rainbows。 I think people assume the children are just fine being ripped from their parents or biological families and placed with strangers。 Many say "oh they're loved and fed， clothed， in school， and want for nothing，" but that's not true at all。 Children are very loyal to their parents regardless of any wrong being done or going on in the home。 Many have behavioral and mental health issues from this upheaval in their lives， on top of any trauma experienced to warrant a removal from their home。 I appreciate the inside views of how CPS works， at least in the state of Florida。 These stories Jessica shares will break your heart。 Some will downright make you angry。 The system as a whole needs change， and we all need to be pushing for that change。 It's devastating to think that you take your child to the ER for help by professionals， and your child is removed from your care and placed with strangers。 I realize that there are very real situations of abuse， neglect， medical neglect， abandonment， etc。， and most certainly， the safety of the children is the most important， but the plan shouldn't be the same for every family。 It needs to be made based on the needs of that family。 Bio families need support。 I don't have a solution for the issues within CPS。 It's just not that simple。 I get that。 Jessica is on to something， and I just hope change is coming。 Thank you to Netgalley and Amistad for the e-ARC。 This one has tough subject matter for sure， but it needs to be read by everyone。 。。。more
Cheyenne
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Thank you， NatGalley and Amistad for this advanced readers copy。 This was an amazing book told through the lens of the author’s time working as a caseworker in child protective services。 CPS is supposed to be a safety net for children when their family is struggling and unable to care for them。 Many times due to racism and classism， CPS fails these children。 This author shows these programs are routinely underfunded and do not have the resources to properly assess claims and provide support for Thank you， NatGalley and Amistad for this advanced readers copy。 This was an amazing book told through the lens of the author’s time working as a caseworker in child protective services。 CPS is supposed to be a safety net for children when their family is struggling and unable to care for them。 Many times due to racism and classism， CPS fails these children。 This author shows these programs are routinely underfunded and do not have the resources to properly assess claims and provide support for these families。 This book was a wonderful insight into the world of child protective services and how we need to do better for our communities， especially those who really need it。 。。。more
Shana
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