The best books, documentaries and movies to educate yourself on foster care.
Before working with foster youth, many people are shown fictionalized television shows and movies that make people believe things can be really simple. However, once Hannah Stombler-Levine began working with foster youth in San Francisco and in the foster care system directly, she realized that most of the mainstream media has gotten it gravely wrong when it comes to the reality of foster care.
The more people know about the realities of the foster care system, the better people can be equipped to help. So Hannah has compiled her list of the best books and documentaries to consume to educate yourself on foster care.
Trigger warning for all of these — as these subject matters may be disturbing.
Books:
Invisible Child by Pulitzer Prize winner Andrea Elliott: This book will stick with Hannah for the rest of her life and she can’t recommend it enough. Elliot follows the life of Dasani and her siblings for over 8 years in New York. Available here or wherever you get your books.
Piece of Cake by Cupcake Brown: Left orphaned after her mother’s death, Cupcake Brown recounts her experience entering the foster care system and surviving by any means necessary. Trigger warning: child sexual exploitation, substance abuse, criminal activities. Couldn’t recommend this memoir enough — it is raw, real and honest. Available here or wherever you get your books.
Documentaries:
Foster, documentary on HBO: This is a really good documentary on foster care, and shows a few different types of cases that come through the court system. It shows that while many people involved do try their hardest, it is a very complicated system and is broken in a lot of ways. It doesn’t offer the viewer any solutions, but maybe, that’s kind of the point. It did demonstrate that having foster parents that care really makes a big impact in children's lives, and that there are people who are really trying to help, if you know where to look.
The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez, documentary on Netflix: This six-part documentary uncovered the story of an 8 year old boy who was neglected, abused and ultimately died at the hands of his parents — all while being in foster care. The story is incredibly upsetting, but also very eye opening to see how many access points a child in care has that could potentially save them. This documentary is important because the more people that see it, the more people will understand that if they see something that is wrong, they should speak out.
Movies:
The Florida Project, movie: If you are looking for something a bit lighter, this movie might be a great place to start. This movie tells the story of a 6 year-old and her group of friends who are living in a motel. It is a great reminder for anyone working in the welfare system that sometimes what appears to be a bad situation on the outside is much more complex. In the case of these kids, they were very loved and happy. This movie is also a great reminder that to some kids, they don't see neglect the same way adults do, and that often even in the most dysfunctional families there is still function, and in functional families there is still dysfunction.
Short Term 12: This movie, starring Brie Larson before she blew up, is a great depiction of what it’s like working with at-risk teens. It is incredibly moving and shows you how important it is for providers working in these spaces to engage in great self-care to ensure they are able to care for others properly.
