How Can We Better Care for Foster Youth?

How Can We Better Care for Foster Youth?

From KQED's Forum by KQED

April 27, 2026 · 55 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the challenges and improvements needed in the foster care system following a tragic incident in San Jose.

The death of a San Jose toddler in foster care has Santa Clara’s child welfare system scrambling to respond and politicians asking what went wrong. Six percent of children nationwide will enter the foster care system, primarily for reasons of neglect – which can mean conditions of poverty, homelessness, parental drug abuse or mental health issues. We’ll talk to child welfare experts about what we do right and what we could improve in caring for children deeply in need. Guests: Julia Prodis Sulek, reporter, Bay Area News Group; Sulek was part of the San Jose Mercury News team that won the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for breaking news reporting Janay Eustace, president & CEO, Child Abuse Prevention Center Jill Duerr Berrick, professor, School of Social Welfare at UC Berkeley Sarah Pauter, executive director, John Burton Advocates for Youth (JBAY), an organization focused on outcomes for older foster youth Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

People in this episode

Guests: Julia Prodis Sulek, Janay Eustace, Jill Duerr Berrick, Sarah Pauter

Topics covered

  • foster care
  • child welfare
  • neglect
  • politics
  • child abuse prevention
  • social work

Keywords

  • foster youth
  • child welfare system
  • neglect
  • political response
  • child abuse prevention
  • social services

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Bay Area News Group, Child Abuse Prevention Center, School of Social Welfare at UC Berkeley, John Burton Advocates for Youth (JBAY)

Places: San Jose, Santa Clara, California

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