There were many nights when Pam cried herself to sleep. She thought to herself, “I’m never going to be able to do this. I’ve made a huge mistake.”
Over the past several years, Pam has parented and cared for dozens of children. Some came to her through birth, others through foster care, and still others through adoption. She has many years of lived experience. And yet, caring for children and youth who have been impacted by trauma—as so many children touched by foster care, kinship care, and adoption have been—is an ever-evolving challenge. And even after all of her years of parenting and all of her experience, Pam was facing a new challenge; and she felt powerless.
“I finally had to say, ‘I can’t do this on my own. Please help me.’”
Pam is just one of the hundreds, even thousands of parents and caregivers who have come to the Coalition for information, resources, and support. And while every family’s story and journey is unique, there are similarities that we see and hear often. Heartbreaking phone calls with parents who say, “I’m feeling lost.” “I’m struggling.” “Will I ever be enough?”
At the Coalition for Children, Youth & Families (the Coalition), we believe that
- every child deserves a champion to love and support them
- no one should walk their parenting path alone
- there is strength and resilience to be found in sharing our stories and experiences
- all parents deserve to be treated with dignity, respect, and compassion
- well-informed and supported families have the power to impact positive change for generations to come.