@lauraw Thank you so much! This was a labor of love for me. My husband and I worked as weekend parents for a group home in our college years, and the experience stuck with me. We ended up fostering and adopting three children, later in life. I learned so much doing the research for this project and much of it resonated with my personal experience.
Hi Roya, thank you so much for creating this report. I’ve learned so much about the challenges in the U.S. foster system, and I can really see how libraries can become safe havens of connection and stability for youth in the system.
@cedudley Thank you for your kind comments! I think what these kids need the most is to have stable connections with trusted adults in their lives, and yes, the library can help provide that!
Hi, Roya! As a librarian in Contra Costa, I just want to commend you for what a fantastic concept you’ve presented here. How much you care about foster youth really shines in the effort you’ve put forth in this project. Your contextual information and the statistics therein really blew me away, and underscored the need for the program you’ve designed. It’s amazing how much social interfacing and assessment I do with my students on a daily basis as a librarian for TK-5; the trust they have in us for what we do translates naturally to the type of work a social worker designing programming for the library could also do to make a change. Excellent idea, and excellent work!
@gilbertmaryjoy Thank you so much! It was sobering to look at those statistics. My heart aches for the kids who exit the system without safety nets and parental support. It takes a village, and we can all do our parts! Thanks for taking the time to read!
Thank you @royaflin for this exceptional blog post! Your research is astounding and the statistics are sobering. I first learned about social workers in the library way back in INFO 200 and it seems like such a natural partnership to link library services and social services. Your report is excellent in pointing out the challenges but also the opportunities! I really like the idea of peer navigators. Although I have no personal experience with foster youth, I would imagine that trust is a big concern. Connecting with similar youth seems like an important aspect of any successful program. I hope you are able to get a program like this started in real life!
Impressive work. Thank you so much for sharing it!
@maggierogers Thank you so much! I hope I can start a program like this, too! I agree entirely that librarians and social workers are natural partners. I often wonder why there aren’t more dual MLIS/MSW programs out there. Thanks again for your kind comments.
@royaflin, this report was very eye opening. Your “Hopeful Futures” project is a great way to show how libraries can help young people in foster care in new and important ways. It is a great connection to social services that we are seeing more and more with libraries. Thank you for all of the work you put into this.
@troy. Thank you for your kind comments. I hope that by partnering with others working for these youth, we can reach out to them and ensure they have a safety net in place.
Hi, Roya,
What a great inspriration report! As a school social worker, and former Foster Youth Services coordinator for SFUSD, I appreciate all of your recommendations,
Recently I thougth they should rename the Independent Living Skills programs (ILPs) for foster youth “Interdependent living programs” and include the library in their transitional IL Plans!
@quarrypak Thank yo so much! This means a lot coming from someone who has worked with foster youth extensively. I really appreciated the link to “soar for youth” mentoring website. There really are quite a few nonprofits in the bay area working with foster youth, which is encouraging to see. I love your idea of including the library in the transitional IL plans! Thanks again, and best of luck to you in your personal and professional endeavors!
12 Comments
Laura Wecksler
Nice, @royaflin! Your report is so full of research and well-thought out. It highlights an important need that libraries can help to fill.
Roya Koutchekinia
@lauraw Thank you so much! This was a labor of love for me. My husband and I worked as weekend parents for a group home in our college years, and the experience stuck with me. We ended up fostering and adopting three children, later in life. I learned so much doing the research for this project and much of it resonated with my personal experience.
Ciera
Hi Roya, thank you so much for creating this report. I’ve learned so much about the challenges in the U.S. foster system, and I can really see how libraries can become safe havens of connection and stability for youth in the system.
Roya Koutchekinia
@cedudley Thank you for your kind comments! I think what these kids need the most is to have stable connections with trusted adults in their lives, and yes, the library can help provide that!
Mary Joy (MJ)
Hi, Roya! As a librarian in Contra Costa, I just want to commend you for what a fantastic concept you’ve presented here. How much you care about foster youth really shines in the effort you’ve put forth in this project. Your contextual information and the statistics therein really blew me away, and underscored the need for the program you’ve designed. It’s amazing how much social interfacing and assessment I do with my students on a daily basis as a librarian for TK-5; the trust they have in us for what we do translates naturally to the type of work a social worker designing programming for the library could also do to make a change. Excellent idea, and excellent work!
Roya Koutchekinia
@gilbertmaryjoy Thank you so much! It was sobering to look at those statistics. My heart aches for the kids who exit the system without safety nets and parental support. It takes a village, and we can all do our parts! Thanks for taking the time to read!
Maggie Rogers
Thank you @royaflin for this exceptional blog post! Your research is astounding and the statistics are sobering. I first learned about social workers in the library way back in INFO 200 and it seems like such a natural partnership to link library services and social services. Your report is excellent in pointing out the challenges but also the opportunities! I really like the idea of peer navigators. Although I have no personal experience with foster youth, I would imagine that trust is a big concern. Connecting with similar youth seems like an important aspect of any successful program. I hope you are able to get a program like this started in real life!
Impressive work. Thank you so much for sharing it!
Roya Koutchekinia
@maggierogers Thank you so much! I hope I can start a program like this, too! I agree entirely that librarians and social workers are natural partners. I often wonder why there aren’t more dual MLIS/MSW programs out there. Thanks again for your kind comments.
Troy
@royaflin, this report was very eye opening. Your “Hopeful Futures” project is a great way to show how libraries can help young people in foster care in new and important ways. It is a great connection to social services that we are seeing more and more with libraries. Thank you for all of the work you put into this.
Roya Koutchekinia
@troy. Thank you for your kind comments. I hope that by partnering with others working for these youth, we can reach out to them and ensure they have a safety net in place.
Quarry Pak
Hi, Roya,
What a great inspriration report! As a school social worker, and former Foster Youth Services coordinator for SFUSD, I appreciate all of your recommendations,
You might be interested in this mentoring program based at UC Berkeley: https://www.soarforyouth.org.
Recently I thougth they should rename the Independent Living Skills programs (ILPs) for foster youth “Interdependent living programs” and include the library in their transitional IL Plans!
Brava!
Roya Koutchekinia
@quarrypak Thank yo so much! This means a lot coming from someone who has worked with foster youth extensively. I really appreciated the link to “soar for youth” mentoring website. There really are quite a few nonprofits in the bay area working with foster youth, which is encouraging to see. I love your idea of including the library in the transitional IL plans! Thanks again, and best of luck to you in your personal and professional endeavors!