REMARKS
Council member addresses disparities in proposed solutions and calls for unity
2:35:21
·
65 sec
Council Member Stevens discusses the disparities in proposed solutions for improving the child welfare system. She notes the conflicting views between those who want more support for programs like CARES and those who advocate for direct family support. Stevens emphasizes the need for unity among advocates and policymakers to effectively address child safety issues.
- Stevens highlights the conflicting views on how to improve the child welfare system
- She emphasizes the importance of finding common ground among different advocacy groups
- The council member stresses that the ultimate goal is to ensure child safety, regardless of the approach
Althea V. Stevens
2:35:21
And I guess, you know, I think even hearing, like, the disparities in some of the testimony at SAS today around, like, how people think the solution is, whether it's, you know, having more support in cares or having saying there just needs to be, you know, families are are that we just need to support families.
2:35:40
I think both can exist, but I I just wanna also just echo that.
2:35:44
That then gets very even confusing for an agency, right, where there is so much disparities.
2:35:47
And so I think as advocates and as
UNKNOWN
2:35:48
people who actually really
Althea V. Stevens
2:35:48
care about kids, we all need to really get on one accord and one page because it it makes us then fight against each other.
2:35:54
And it's interesting now because, like, again, I've only had this committee for, less than a year and that is what I found where you have one group of folks saying, like,
Jumaane Williams
2:36:08
this is what we
Althea V. Stevens
2:36:08
want and another group saying, this is what we want.
2:36:10
And for me, I just want kids to be safe, so I don't care about anything.
2:36:12
Like, whatever makes kids safe is what we're gonna do.
2:36:14
So if that's just making sure we're putting resources here, then let's do that or whatever.
2:36:18
And so I think even as advocates and folks who care about kids, because everyone in this room does, we gotta figure out how to get on the same page.
