Much like other governmental agencies, child welfare systems are long overdue for a digital upgrade. But how can we ensure the technological tools implemented truly equip caseworkers and supervisors to meet the needs of children and families?

This week, Naomi and Ian are joined by Sixto Cancel, the founder and CEO of Think of Us, a tech nonprofit working to reform the child welfare system in the US. Inspired by his own story in foster care, where one, outdated sentence in his case file determined the trajectory of his time in the system, Sixto founded Think of Us to improve the tech landscape of the foster care system. From the need to incorporate assistive AI into case management to improving federal incentives to encourage innovation, Sixto discusses the key areas in need of reform.

Resources

• Taking Child Welfare into the 21st Century | Naomi Schaefer Riley, Ian Rowe, and Greg McKay

• Big Data Can Save Kids | Naomi Schaefer Riley

• Think of Us | Sixto Cancel

Show Notes

• 00:52 | What is the technology landscape of child welfare, and are the systems being used up to date?

• 03:07 | What is the origin of your name, Sixto Cancel?

• 04:06 | What about your story led you down this path to work toward better experiences for youth in foster care?

• 06:38 | What could systems be doing differently to take into account all of the options for foster youth?

• 09:28 | How are you now using virtual support services for youth getting ready to age out of the system?

• 12:15 | Many child welfare agencies contract with different providers to meet their needs. How is this currently working, and could it be more efficient?

• 15:32 | Why was the federal funding you secured ineffective to upgrade the technology systems within child welfare agencies?

• 17:08 | What would be the better approach? Should the federal government still be involved, or would that run the same risk of having just one large entity dominating the space and discouraging innovation?

• 20:05 | Are you planning to expand the direct service component of your organization?

• 21:22 | Thinking about the data you’ve collected so far, what would say is the biggest mismatch between what people need and what is being offered to them?

Because of the Family First Prevention Services Act passed in 2017, residential care facilities, or “group homes,” for foster youth have lost significant funding—leading to the closure of many residential treatment options. Many advocates of the policy believe that placement with families are always the best option for kids. But what about the numerous foster youth who report immense benefits from their time in residential care?

This week, Naomi and Ian are joined by Bruce Henderson, a former professor of psychology at Western Carolina University for over 40 years. Drawing on his background in child psychology, Bruce conducted a comprehensive review of the research on residential care facilities to understand how time spent in these homes affects foster youth. This research led to the publishing of his recent book, Challenging the Conventional Wisdom about Residential Care for Children and Youth. In this episode, Bruce explains the findings of his research and why he believes residential care must continue to be supported as an option for foster youth. Lastly, he shares a way to support The Black Mountain Home for Children and Families, a very impactful residential care home for foster youth in Black Mountain, North Carolina, that has suffered significant damage from Hurricane Helene. We encourage our listeners to give as they are able.

Resources

• Challenging the Conventional Wisdom about Residential Care for Children and Youth | Bruce B. Henderson

• A Critical Dialogue on Residential Care for Children and Youth: What We Really Know and Questions of Quality | Bruce B. Henderson and James P. Anglin

• Why Foster Children Are Sleeping in Offices and What We Can Do About It | Naomi Schaefer Riley et al.

Show Notes

• 00:54 | What motivated your interest in this research topic?

• 02:32 | What is the Family First Prevention Services Act?

• 05:44 | Why does residential care carry so much stigma today?

• 07:09 | What were your findings when you looked at residential care facilities in other countries?

• 09:06 | Is there a version of Family First that you would have supported?

• 10:51 | What are the circumstances that make it possible for residential care to have a positive impact on a child’s life?

• 13:17 | Do attitudes around race play a role in the policy conversation around residential care?

• 13:51 | How do you make appropriate comparisons when you look at this research and what studies have you found helpful when evaluating the effects of residential care on foster youth?

• 17:14 | Does research show if the type of organization plays a role in the success of the residential home (i.e., faith-based, etc.)?

• 18:21 | Do you envision a situation where we start to rethink whether we can really do without residential care? Can we go back?

• 21:06 | Where does the financing come from for these facilities and programs?

• 24:10 | How to Help The Black Mountain Home for Children and Families

Technological innovations are often sold to the public as ways to make life easier. But what if the increasing prevalence of technology in our lives is actually crowding out human experiences that are integral to children’s development and well-being?

This week, Naomi and Ian are joined by AEI Senior Fellow Christine Rosen to discuss her new book, The Extinction of Experience. Christine argues that the unmitigated push to integrate technology into all areas of life can be particularly harmful for children, who could be missing out on fundamental human experiences that help them grow. She highlights how even simple practices like learning cursive, or more significant milestones like dating—without the medium of screens—play a fundamental role in shaping who children become as adults. Contrary to tech moguls like Elon Musk who want to form new human communities on other planets, Christine believes we have a responsibility to find solutions that make life on earth a good one for children. Making the active choice to cut out technology from certain areas of our lives could be a good place to start.

Resources

• The Extinction of Experience: Being Human in a Disembodied World | Christine Rosen

• The Lost Art of Waiting | Christine Rosen

• Katharine Birbalsingh on Banning Smartphones from Schools | Naomi Schaefer Riley, Ian Rowe, and Katharine Birbalsingh

Show Notes:

• 01:13 | When did you first start noticing the negative impacts screens were having on kids?

• 03:11 | Does it bring you some comfort that there is a growing movement to remove cell phones from schools?

• 05:14 | What are some of the individual experiences we are losing because of technology? Are there some experiences that are alright to replace?

• 08:00 | How has technology affected dating and the romantic lives of young people?

• 10:03 | Can we recapture the tradition of having ‘forced’ human interaction in spaces like churches, schools, and homes?

• 12:36 | What can you tell us about the individuals and companies who are making these technologies?

• 15:19 | Figures like Elon Musk have resorted to colonizing new planets as a solution to some of our human problems. Is this the right response? How would you respond?

• 18:08 | What are the chances that a child who has been raised with so much technology will be able to dig themselves out of this?

• 20:55 | Is there a role for faith and religious institutions in all of this?

When parents perpetuate abuse against their children, it is all too likely that they themselves were also victims of abuse. Children who have experienced maltreatment face significant barriers to flourishing when they reach adulthood, but with support and the right tools, it is possible for individuals to make different choices and break the cycle of abuse in their family.

This week, Naomi and Ian are joined by Savannah Nelson, an undergraduate student at BYU-Idaho and recent author of an op-ed for the Institute for Family Studies, “Ending the Cycle of Intergenerational Child Abuse.” Savannah discusses her personal connection to the topic, sharing how her mother overcame the abuse she endured from her parents and was able to make a different choice when starting her own family. She also shares what she has learned from her research, including how forming strong marriages is associated with lower risk of abuse, and how marriage and family education can be an effective tool for equipping parents to create healthy relationships with each other and with their children.

Resources

-Ending the Cycle of Intergenerational Child Abuse | Savannah Nelson and Timothy Rarick

-Married Fatherhood | Ian Rowe

Show Notes

-00:52 | How did you come to write about this topic?

-03:03 | What does it mean to be a “transitional character”?

-04:24 | What kind of process must an individual go through in order to become a transitional character?

-05:57 | How must a child make the choice to make a change even when the change hasn’t been modeled for them?

-07:17 | How can we help children who have experienced abuse feel confident that they are able to form healthier relationships in their own life?

-09:37 | What role does marriage play in breaking the cycle of abuse, and what do you think of the fact that more and more young people are not considering marriage or children within marriage as part of their future?

-12:26 | What resources are available through churches and religious communities to educate individuals on ending the cycle of abuse? Is this topic incorporated into family and marriage education in the context of the LDS church?

Concerns about a mental health crisis among young people have produced broad initiatives to improve overall mental well-being or “prevent” mental illness. But what evidence do we have that these programs are producing desirable outcomes?

This week, Naomi and Ian are joined by Carolyn Gorman, the Paulson Policy Analyst at the Manhattan Institute. In a new report to be released on September 12, Carolyn examines whether school-based mental health initiatives are useful for combatting mental health issues among kids. She explains that, in many cases, the continued effort to broadly incorporate mental health treatment, awareness, and “prevention” programs into school systems do more harm than good. In light of the recent Georgia school shooting, the current conversation around mental health continues to be a pressing one. However, as Carolyn notes, policies targeted specifically toward individuals with severe mental health disorders are more likely to affect change than broad funding for mental health awareness and prevention.

Resources

-A Better Youth Mental Health Policy | Carolyn D. Gorman and Scott Dziengelski

-Senate Gun Bill Includes Solid Mental Health Policies—But Must Focus on Serious Mental

Illness | Carolyn D. Gorman

Show Notes

• 00:40 | What were the findings of your research on the
• impact of current mental health policy initiatives on the well-being and
• educational outcomes of kids?
• 02:29 | What are the downsides of the prevailing approaches
• to mental health policy?
• 05:38 | You divide mental health approaches into three
• tiers. Can you break those down?
• 08:58| What is considered a mental illness and what is not?
• When are services at school appropriate, and where are the areas where schools
• are attempting to treat kids when they shouldn’t?
• 11:51 | What do you mean when you say the distinct goals of
• mental health and education are often in direct conflict?
• 14:28 | What is the right role for schools to play in the
• realm of children’s mental health?
• 17:16 | How do mental health professionals view the
• encroachment of mental health treatment into schools? How can we untangle this?
• 22:49 | How do social emotional learning programs
• exacerbating mental health issues?
• 28:11 | What are the final policy recommendations from your
• report, and is there any distinction in recommendations based on the age of the
• child?

Policymakers, researchers, and activists in the child welfare field frequently point to racial disparities within the system, as evidence of the systemic bias. But what are the true causes of these disparities? And how should governmental bodies tasked with protecting civil rights understand this issue?

This week, Naomi and Ian are joined by Rafael Mangual, Nick Ohnell Fellow at the Manhattan Institute, to discuss his recent resignation from the New York State Advisory Committee to the US Commission on Civil Rights after it conducted an investigation of racial disparities in the child welfare system. Rafael discusses the report published by the committee, which includes recommendations that would significantly diminish the power of the child welfare system. He includes data from his own research that challenges the findings of the committee and expresses concern that other state committees are going to engage in the same kind of work that is thin on evidence and heavy on ideology.

Resources

-Kids In Jeopardy | Rafael Mangual

-The Radical Push to Dismantle Child Protective Services | Naomi Schaefer Riley and Rafael Mangual

-Advisory Committees | US Commission on Civil Rights

Show Notes

04:00 What are the disparities in the child welfare system, and what are the potential explanations for them? How did the committee go about gathering information to answer that question?

11:30 How do committee members respond when alternative data is presented that suggests other causes for disparities besides systemic racism?

20:48 How would you respond to the claim that cash payments to families involved in child welfare will effectively address issues of abuse or neglect, and what do activists believe will be accomplished by this idea?

In 1996, Rev. W.C. Martin and his wife partnered with 22 families in their 100-person congregation to adopt 77 of the most difficult-to-place children in the Texas foster care system. A recent film, Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot, tells the stories of these families and the inspiring results of their efforts.

This week, Naomi and Ian are joined by Joe Knittig, CEO of Care Portal and executive producer of Possum Trot. As leader of an organization designed to connect caretakers and resources in local communities to children in need, Joe was already well-versed in bringing communities together to support vulnerable kids. As executive producer of Possum Trot he hopes to broaden these efforts, encouraging faith communities across the nation to step up for kids in foster care.

Resources

-Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot | Angel Studios

-How Churches Can Make a Difference in the Lives of Children Who Need Foster Care | Naomi Schaefer Riley

Show Notes

-00:40 | Tell us about your background and how it led to your involvement in the film?

-02:15 | How does Care Portal connect caretakers with children in need?

-05:49 | What is the story behind the Possum Trot? What are you hoping to accomplish through the film?

-08:03 | When the Martin family approached the state about adopting the most difficult-to-place children, what was the initial response?

-10:20 | The story of Possum Trot takes place in a historically black church community. How does this story contribute to the conversation around race in the child welfare system?

-13:55 | How could the film catalyze churches and faith-based organizations to become more involved in child welfare and the foster care system?

-16:17 | The film highlights the real struggles of fostering children. Is that part of the story resonating with audiences?

-19:04 | How can listeners see the film?

-20:18 | You are showing screenings of the film in church communities—what impact are you seeing?

-21:48 | How are the original families doing?

As the school choice movement has gained momentum in recent years, parents have become a political force to be reckoned with.

This week, Naomi and Ian are joined by Corey DeAngelis, senior fellow at the American Federation for Children and a visiting fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution, to discuss his recent book, The Parent Revolution: Rescuing Your Kids from the Radicals Ruining Our Schools. The book highlights the key contributors to school choice’s spread across the country, the wealth of research on ways educational freedom benefits all children, and what is required to continue to advance educational freedom in the US. In this episode, Corey explains the important role of parents in the fight for school choice—particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic—the benefits of school choice for low-income communities, and the ongoing political shift towards school choice at the local, state, and federal levels.

Resources

-The Parent Revolution: Rescuing Your Kids from the Radicals Ruining Our Schools | Corey DeAngelis

-Why We Must Eliminate Barriers to School Choice Nationwide | Ian Rowe

-‘The Death of Public School’ Review: Find a Place to Learn | Naomi Schaefer Riley

-When Parents Do Know Best: Darla Romfo on the Viability of School Choice Programs | Naomi Schaefer Riley and Ian Rowe

Show Notes

-0:00:45 | What was your purpose in writing the book?

-0:03:24 | How did school closures and parents’ awareness of course content during the COVID-19 pandemic accelerate the school choice movement?

-0:07:13 | What does research reveal about the impact of school choice on upward mobility, and are “school choice alliances” growing in low-income communities?

-0:10:10 | Should school choice waivers apply to all institutions, or should there be limitations?

-0:14:08 | Which states are the “next frontiers” for school choice?

-0:16:57 | How does school choice help ensure high quality education options?

-0:20:36 | Would abolishing the Department of Education benefit or harm school choice?