Understanding the Child Welfare Experience from the Birth Parent's Perspective

Understanding the Child Welfare Experience from the Birth Parent's Perspective

From Creating a Family: Talk about Adoption, Foster & Kinship Care by Creating a Family

June 10, 2026 · 39 min · Season 20 · Episode 46

About this episode

The episode explores the child welfare experience from the perspective of birth parents, featuring insights from Dr. Darcey Merritt.

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks! We talk a lot about the child’s experience in foster care, but what is this experience like for the child’s birth parents? You may be surprised! Join our conversation with Dr. Darcey Merritt, a professor at the University of Chicago School of Social Work who researches this topic. In this episode, we discuss: What is a typical scenario, if there is such a thing, of how a parent finds themselves connecting with the child welfare system?What rights do birth parent...

People in this episode

Guest: Dr. Darcey Merritt

Topics covered

  • child welfare
  • birth parents
  • foster care
  • parental rights
  • social work

Keywords

  • child welfare system
  • birth parents
  • foster care experience
  • parental rights
  • social work research

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: University of Chicago School of Social Work

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