Policy Brief- the beginning

1.     What problem will your brief address?

Our response to neglected or abused children, specifically in relation to foster care policy

2.     Who is the audience?

Systems involved in foster care placement (Judges, attorneys, child protective workers, mental health providers)

Why is the problem important to them?

Children finding safe permanency in a timely fashion is crucial to their overall mental health and well-being.  This not only impacts our country’s children, but streamlining the way we assess and think about permanency ultimately saves money, as children won’t be in foster care placements as long, which is expensive.

What do you know about the audience (e.g., technical knowledge, political or

organizational culture or constraints, exposure to the issue, potential openness to the

message)?

I know that the various players are typically each coming from very different perspectives.  Judges and attorneys often don’t recognize the sensitive and traumatic experiences of children and families that come through the foster care system.  Sometimes even child protective workers are numb or insensitive to this issue and make biased decisions that are not in the best interest of the child.  By creating policies that help everyone involved to have the same focus and goals, children will be at the center and better cared for in difficult situations.

3. What other policy or issue briefs already exist? How will your brief differ (e.g., different

information, perspective, aim, or audience)?

Current briefs I’ve found focus mainly on outcomes of foster care placement, where I intend my brief to focus on the ways our systems interact to result in permanency faster and in a more child-focused trauma informed way.