MIDLAND, Texas — Every year, CASA of West Texas gets together with foster care partners to bring everyone up to speed on what they need to know about the status of the system.
“Well, we developed an annual training slash conference for local workers, social workers, CPS workers, different people that are involved in some way to the foster care system to educate them on different topics and trends that are going on, you know, in the social work realm," said Patty Pisklak, the executive director of CASA of West Texas.
But the most important voices during these conversations are the ones of those who have lived through the foster care system.
CASA brought in a panel made up of foster alumni who all told their stories and experiences of going through the foster care system and talked about what they feel needs to be addressed in the system today.
“So, my time in the system was definitely detrimental. I went through several different placements. I was adopted 2 separate times and through the system every single time I moved from home to home, I was handed trash bag after trash bag to pack my things, to move to the next placement. It was very dehumanizing and there are a lot of things within the system that need to be changed, which is why, hence, our topic this year is the power of change. So, bringing lived experience experts onto the stage telling their story, showcasing what they had to go through and the similarities of what is happening to this day, we're hoping to invoke and ignite some change within the foster system," said foster alumni Aliscia Brorman.
As more foster alumni share their experience the hope is that not only will change be made but that kids still in the foster care system will see that their stronger than they think.
“For everyone or anyone who is still within the foster system today, I just want to remind you that every day, day by day, as long as you're taking a step forward, you're moving in the right direction, understanding that you have the power and capacity of resilience that most people don't receive in their entire lifetime. We are a powerful group of individuals who, whenever you recognize that and when you realize what is within you, who you are, the resilience that you have brewed, I promise you the possibilities are endless for you," Brorman continued.