{"id":32129,"date":"2024-07-25T21:12:21","date_gmt":"2024-07-25T21:12:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/caseyfamilyv2.wpengine.com\/shared-power-rise\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T16:06:46","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T16:06:46","slug":"aumento-de-poder-compartido","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.casey.org\/es\/shared-power-rise\/","title":{"rendered":"\u00bfC\u00f3mo podemos avanzar hacia la transformaci\u00f3n de sistemas compartiendo el poder con los padres que tienen experiencia vivida en el bienestar infantil?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Summary<\/h3>\n

System transformation requires moving beyond just listening to parents \u2014 it means giving them real decision-making power. <\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n \n \n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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This brief was developed in partnership with members of the Rise<\/a> parent advocate community, including Felicia Alleyne, Cassandra Gonzalez, Leatha Jennings, Teresa Marrero, Shakira Paige, Zoraida Ramirez, and Jeanette Vega – all\u00a0 parents who have been impacted by the child welfare system. Co-developing this document was an opportunity for Casey Family Programs’ staff to learn and think deeply about the process of co-design, and about what it means to genuinely share power. Transformation of the child welfare system will require centering the expertise of those most impacted and engaging them in the co-design of projects and strategies for systems change.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n \n \n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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A movement is growing within child welfare to engage and share power with those who have lived experience within the system. The types of partnerships where parents can and should be able to share their expertise are wide-ranging<\/a>, from input on individual cases, to agency or systemwide input through participation on advisory councils, court committees, and specific projects. Decision-making power, however, often is held by staff and leadership at agencies and courts, and others extending the invitations for input from parents and other lived experts.<\/p>\n

Sharing power with parents impacted by the child welfare system, who live the realities of a jurisdiction’s policies and practices, allows parents to have a true voice in shaping the decisions that affect their children’s lives. It is not enough to simply listen or consider the insights that parents offer – their insights must be integrated into the decisions being made. When that happens, these partnerships have the potential to eliminate the trauma that the system itself causes, and bring about system transformation that truly supports child safety and strengthens child and family well-being.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n \n \n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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Identifying barriers<\/h2>\n \n \n \n

While inviting parents to partner may stem from good intentions, parents find that sometimes those with power are not actually ready to share it, resulting in more harm than good. When parents are invited to join a partnership but power is withheld, they may feel as though the invitation was extended out of compliance or just for appearances. “There’s a lot of tokenizing,” says Felicia Alleyne, a Rise parent advocate. “Agencies like to use our quotes so that they can say that they are ‘parent friendly,’ but if they don’t actually change anything or do anything with our input, then that is not a true partnership.” This kind of experience can perpetuate parents’ lack of trust in the system and their reluctance to collaborate with agency staff or leadership.<\/p>\n

The hesitation to share power with parents may stem from a lack of exploration and understanding regarding shared values and beliefs with parents; professionals not truly believing that parents bring needed expertise; or professionals not valuing lived experience in the same way they might value education or work experience. Agency representatives and the system as a whole may struggle to evolve beyond historical beliefs, for example, shifting from the view of “saving children from bad parents” to that of “supporting families to keep children safe and thriving.” Without making that shift, it is impossible to truly partner with parents and appreciate that while parents’ expertise may look different, it is no less valuable.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n \n \n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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My involvement on committees is rewarding and necessary, especially for Black and brown families like mine. But I have encountered challenges, particularly in navigating power dynamics. For example, when I raised my hand in an online meeting to share my perspective on the topic being discussed, I was redirected to share my thoughts in a breakout room rather than with the entire group. I felt that this didn\u2019t allow me to fully share my concerns and that I was only welcome to speak if I would say something that aligned with predetermined expectations.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

— Cassandra Gonzalez, Program Support Manager, Rise<\/cite><\/figcaption>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n
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Technical and logistical barriers also can be problematic, such as agency policies that create obstacles toward compensating parents for their time and expertise, or processes that do not meaningfully engage parents – for example, conducting surveys of parents but then not communicating the findings and how they may be used, or even disregarding them altogether. Shakira Paige, a mother and Rise peer program manager, shared that “this makes it feel as if they don’t really want our voices. When we open our mouths, that gives us more power – but if they are scared, then they don’t want parents to have a voice and opinion about what they’re doing to us.” Similarly, parents may feel tokenized if they are invited into the partnership after decisions have been made and they are unable to have meaningful impact.<\/p>\n

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Examining agency policies and processes, both written and unwritten, is an important step to ensure that any organization is truly prepared and ready to genuinely partner with parents. Parents and agency leaders that have led the way in implementation and barrier-busting partnerships say policy and process challenges are not insurmountable, but rather that they need to be adapted or re-envisioned in order to move toward transformation and authentic engagement with parents. Some common challenges that agencies might experience and need to address include:<\/p>\n