Andrea Dunlop

I was like, this is someone who has been, no matter what you think happened here, so traumatized by, you know, her mother's death, by this whole situation, by being separated from her parents again. There are situations where both of us agree, where I think most people would agree. There are situations where parents cannot provide a safe home for their children.

That's not a safe place for that child. The removal separation needs to happen. It's still going to be traumatizing.

That's not a safe place for that child. The removal separation needs to happen. It's still going to be traumatizing.

That's not a safe place for that child. The removal separation needs to happen. It's still going to be traumatizing.

Yeah, absolutely.

Yeah, absolutely.

Yeah, absolutely.

Thank you for saying that. And I think it really is important to remember that it is traumatic to be removed from your parents. But what is the alternative?

Thank you for saying that. And I think it really is important to remember that it is traumatic to be removed from your parents. But what is the alternative?

Thank you for saying that. And I think it really is important to remember that it is traumatic to be removed from your parents. But what is the alternative?

It's not done lightly. Right. Because, you know, they're only going to do it in a situation where it truly needs to happen. And I will say in abuse cases, right? Neglect cases are just an entirely other ball of wax that accounts for 76% of child removals.

It's not done lightly. Right. Because, you know, they're only going to do it in a situation where it truly needs to happen. And I will say in abuse cases, right? Neglect cases are just an entirely other ball of wax that accounts for 76% of child removals.

It's not done lightly. Right. Because, you know, they're only going to do it in a situation where it truly needs to happen. And I will say in abuse cases, right? Neglect cases are just an entirely other ball of wax that accounts for 76% of child removals.

There's so much resource stuff going on there where, like, unfortunately that is an easier thing to remove children for because it's more straightforward. Right. than an abuse investigation of any kind where you may not have evidence or it might not be strong enough or the prosecutor might not want to move or what have you.

There's so much resource stuff going on there where, like, unfortunately that is an easier thing to remove children for because it's more straightforward. Right. than an abuse investigation of any kind where you may not have evidence or it might not be strong enough or the prosecutor might not want to move or what have you.

There's so much resource stuff going on there where, like, unfortunately that is an easier thing to remove children for because it's more straightforward. Right. than an abuse investigation of any kind where you may not have evidence or it might not be strong enough or the prosecutor might not want to move or what have you.

Whereas I think if you're just evaluating, oh, there's not enough space in this place where these people are living or there's not enough food in the cabinets or what have you. So that I think is just a totally other kind of conversation.

Whereas I think if you're just evaluating, oh, there's not enough space in this place where these people are living or there's not enough food in the cabinets or what have you. So that I think is just a totally other kind of conversation.

Whereas I think if you're just evaluating, oh, there's not enough space in this place where these people are living or there's not enough food in the cabinets or what have you. So that I think is just a totally other kind of conversation.

Yeah, one hopes. But I think that's certainly sort of a flaw in the system that's like pretty separate in my estimation from abuse cases. I heard actually when I was presenting at the Stanford Child Abuse Conference last year, I listened to another presentation and she was talking about the foster care system.