There’s No Place Like Home: Harms of Removal and Family Separation in Child Welfare

Topic Areas: Family Separation

Description: Removing children from their families in an effort to protect them, without fully accounting for the trauma that separation can cause, reflects a deeply rooted flaw in the child dependency system. In 2023, Washington became one of the first states in the nation to legally require dependency courts to weigh the potential harm of removal alongside the risk of remaining in the home. This training introduces the concept of “harm of removal” within the child welfare context and provides practical tools and resources to help court professionals recognize and respond to the trauma of unnecessary family separation.

Learning Objectives:

Learners will have increased insight into how forced removal of a child from their primary caregiver, even in cases of abuse and neglect, can be extremely disruptive to a child’s neurological and socio-emotional development.
Learners will be able to use the Harm of Removal Map to identify and assess the domains of a child’s life that are likely to be impacted by removal.
Learners can utilize strategies in cases where removal is ordered to reduce the short-term and long-term harms associated with the trauma of forced family separation.

Format: Virtual via Zoom

Length: 60-, 75-, 90-, and 120-minute versions available

Presenters:

Laura Vogel, Training Coordinator, Family & Youth Justice Programs
Jacob D’Annunzio, Training Coordinator, Office of Public Defense’s Parent Representation Program
Ambrosia Eberhardt, Statewide Impact Manager, Akin
Jami Nelson-Cortes, Former Foster Youth

Testimonials:

I wanted to say, thank you for hosting this training. As an adult with lived experience of being removed from my home when I was a kid, I’m grateful this topic is getting attention in the justice system. The little kid in me feels seen and hopeful that change is happening for other kids in similar situations.

The harm of removal tools shared during your presentation provide a lot of critical insights around areas where we are seeking to engage some of the courts through supporting change initiatives…best of the conference!

I was happy to see this message of reunification under the right circumstances in this training, even though it is not the primary focus. I am on the receiving end of the traumatized children and our focus is on reunification and helping them to become contributing adults. I am glad to hear that some change is being fought for in a better way to help these families remain families. Thank you for your training today. I look forward to reading some of the books that Jacob suggested. I will look for more continuing education on this topic. I think it has been very powerful.

I also wanted to say how I truly appreciated your passion for this issue in child welfare. It clearly showed, as did your compassion for families who experience removal. I loved this workshop, and learned some new information that I will use both to keep up my awareness of the trauma that families go through as well as when I teach/consult. This issue should be at the forefront of our thinking as child welfare workers. Thank you! Thank you! I would have gladly spent a full day on this topic!