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Racial Truth & Reconciliation Week—Innocence erased: Intersections of DEI and Child Protection
How do program practices and unconscious biases undermine innocence and contribute to the myths of a universal child or a perfect victim? How can we work around our strongest bias, our own lived experience, to reshape our approaches and accommodate diversity? As child advocates, we must explore and internalize the linkage between child protection and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Not only because when our most vulnerable are made safe, all children are safer, but because we are too often certain of our impartiality and unaware of the impact of individual and system biases. If you join our interactive deep dive into the intersection of DEI and child protection you will:
- Understand the myths of the universal child and the perfect victim.
- Explore your own intersectional strengths.
- Identify features of age compression, adultification bias, and adultism and their impact on child protection.
- Engage in reflective conversations and planning with colleagues around how DEI informs child protection and vice versa.
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Kristin Lennox (she/her/we) is the Advocacy and Engagement Manager at Voices for Virginia’s Children and the Chair of the Racial Truth & Reconciliation VA Coalition. Kristin has 5+ years’ experience providing community-based mental health services, predominantly responding to crises or traumatic events with children, youth, and families. She has delivered global workshops on themes of trauma-informed care, healing centered engagement, and de-escalation. Kristin is passionate about increasing parity in community resources and mental health access for youth and families in Virginia. She believes in a responsible, person-centered approach to community engagement. Kristin is a practicing Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Certified Trauma & Resilience Practitioner, and an Adjunct Instructor with VCU’s School of Social Work.
Laurie Tasharski (she/her/hers) is the Director of Institutional Abuse Prevention for Stop Child Abuse Now of Northern Virginia (SCANVA). She facilitates Allies in Prevention, multi-disciplinary child protection teams, and the Loudoun Country Trauma Informed Community Network (TICN). Laurie works with international child protection professionals, develops comprehensive safety programs for organizations, and has delivered professional development in more than 40 countries. She graduated from Bucknell University and received her M.Ed. from Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland. Most weekends you’ll find her getting lost in new places.
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