There comes a point when the question is no longer simply what happened to one family. The question becomes what keeps happening to families. A parent makes a report. A child is removed. A case...

I remember the paper. It was just set in front of me. No big explanation. Just a quick, “this is part of the process.” I glanced at it. I didn’t sit with it. I didn’t...

When the System Becomes the Story There are moments when systems operate exactly as they were designed to. And then there are moments when the outcomes raise a different question entirely. Not whether something went wrong, but...

For families navigating the child welfare system, one question continues to surface again and again. Who is watching the system that is supposed to be watching our children? Oversight is often discussed in policy language. It...

To my babies, We love you. There isn’t a system big enough to erase that. Not a courtroom. Not a report. Not a badge. Not a signature at the bottom of documents built on assumptions, pressure,...

Editor’s Note:This op ed is published anonymously to protect the safety and privacy of the parent and children involved. The account reflects the lived experience of a Dale County family and is shared in...

Alabama is being called to account. On January 22, families from across this state will arrive in Montgomery for two public events that expose a truth the system has long relied on silence to obscure....

As the holidays come to an end, the world begins to reset. Decorations are packed away. Routines return. Life moves forward. For families navigating the child welfare system, the end of the holidays is not...