In We’re Not Protecting Children. We’re Recycling Their Trauma, Mathangi Swaminathan critiques the U.S. child welfare system for perpetuating harm under the guise of protection. She argues that many children are separated from their families not because of abuse, but due to poverty, and are placed into systems that often deepen their trauma.
The piece presents chilling data—children in foster care are four times more likely to be sexually abused; more than 23,000 disappeared from state custody in 2024.
Swaminathan highlights hopeful programs like PACE in Minnesota, UP4Youth in Los Angeles, and New York’s Strong Starts Court—efforts that focus on mental health, trust, and community-led support. From my perspective, this is the heart of what was missing in my own journey: not just removal from hardship, but healing through understanding, stability, and compassion.
The push to view each case within its broader systemic context—poverty, racism, community disinvestment, intergenerational trauma—is right on track.
