Alia’s Post

🤔 What happens when we ignore the life-long impact of family disconnection? The child welfare system was built on the false assumption that “any parent will do.” This approach overlooks the profound, life-long harm caused by severing children from their families, culture, and communities. While short-term safety is important, it cannot come at the cost of a child’s long-term well-being and identity. The truth is, disconnection from one’s family creates enduring harm that ripples across a lifetime: physically, emotionally, and culturally. Fighting for a child to remain with a foster parent (instead of with their family whenever safely possible), even with good intentions, often deepens the wounds of separation. When foster parents engage in legal battles to keep children from their biological families, the focus shifts away from the child’s true life-long best interest and toward short-term attachment at the expense of life-long belonging. We must redefine what it means to act in the “best interest” of children. It’s not about protecting bonds formed during temporary placements—it’s about honoring the enduring ties to their families and communities. We must strive to minimize life-long harm and prioritize outcomes that allow children to grow up connected to the people and places that ground them. At Alia, we’re co-designing UnSystems that look to the future, focusing on keeping families safely together and creating conditions where children can thrive within their own culture and community. This involves supporting families, not punishing and separating them, to build their parental capacities to safely parent. Separation of a child from their family is an Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE—e.g., trauma). The work is challenging, but every step we take toward connection, belonging, and healing builds a brighter path forward. How can we ensure that the child welfare system prioritizes life-long outcomes over short-term solutions? I’d love to hear your thoughts! PS - This post is part of my ongoing series on the flawed foundation of the U.S. child welfare system. Join me as we continue reimagining a system rooted in healing, understanding, and connection. Follow for more! #ChildWelfareReform #FamilyConnection #BelongingMatters #UnSystem #LifelongBelonging