New Jersey has had a fraught history with foster care.  Many of our listeners will remember the 2003 death of 7-year-old Faheem Williams due to neglect.  His body was found in a locked basement in Newark alongside his two brothers who were starving but still alive. 

This tragedy led to a large settlement garnering national attention. It also led to major structural and programmatic reforms, including an outside expert to monitor the state’s foster care reform efforts, a process that formally ended in March of this year. 

As Lilo Stainton writes in NJ Spotlight: Two decades after the original settlement was crafted, New Jersey is considered a national leader in child welfare, according to some metrics, with a child protection system focused on keeping families safely together, whenever possible. 

On today’s episode we have a conversation about the foster care system in New Jersey. We are joined by leaders from some of New Jersey’s most reputable organizations:  Liza Kirschenbaum of CASA of NJ and Edith Fiato of Roots & Wings.  

We cover the basics of foster care in the state (some of which will surprise you), what challenges the system continues to face, and how youth experiencing the system are faring.  

Thanks for listening.   

More about our guests’ organizations:

CASA of New Jersey: www.casaofnj.org;  To volunteer: https://casaofnj.org/steps-to-volunteer-casa/  To donate: https://casaofnj.org/helpachild/

Roots & Wings:  https://rootsandwingsnj.org/   Edith Fiato can be reached at edith.fiato@rootsandwingnj.org to set up a meeting or tour their office.

Please also see another worthwhile organization focused on supporting foster families and youth in foster care:  NJ Angels https://www.newjerseyangels.org