deep in the DNA of child welfare systems
why child welfare systems stay the same
what we say and why we say it
wrestling with complacency: perceptions and experiences of whiteness in child welfare
This webinar engaged people who are connected to systems of child welfare (i.e. past and present personnel, law makers, counsellors, medical providers, educators etc.) but are feeling unsettled. We created a space for people who sought to better understand why they felt unsettled and perhaps disconnected from themselves in their experiences of child welfare. This webinar, the first of a three-part series, shifted our focus toward understanding the why of child welfare systems. Why do child welfare systems function this way? We identified and unpacked colonizing codes, those deeply engrained ideas and beliefs that form the ‘DNA’ of child welfare systems and shape everyday practices. In this webinar took steps to regain our humanity in everyday child welfare practices.
The Child Welfare TRUTH-Telling Collective critically explored one of the child welfare system’s deeply embedded colonizing codes: Separation Equals Safety. This code, which ensures a threat of child removal is ever present in this work, is reinforced by the language used within the system. We identified together the words we use and explored those we could use instead. Together we exposed the limits and potentialities of changing our talk. As we concluded we knew well the language, what it shows us about our child welfare systems, and why our words matter.
In this webinar we explored some of the pervasive ways that Whiteness shapes child welfare practices from the perspective of a former child welfare worker. We discussed the institutional power of Whiteness and how it is experienced as both a violent and silencing force in spaces of child welfare. We invited you to enter into these rocky waters with us as we journeyed to better understand the depths of influence Whiteness has had on our experiences in child welfare.