Let's be honest. Some days our homes feel like a reality TV show nobody asked to audition for. The dog knocks over the laundry. Your child has a meltdown over the color of their cup. You realize — at 7:45 a.m. — that it's…
If you are a Plan B parent, you have probably had a version of this moment: you are watching your child struggle—with trust, with relationships, with behavior that seems to come out of nowhere—and a quiet fear settles in. What if the things that happened…
Every year on March 14th, people around the world observe National Write Your Story Day — a simple invitation to write about what’s on your mind. Founded in 2017, the day is a reminder to Plan B families that helping our children reclaim their stories…
You’ve read through every page of the independent report and appreciate that the investigator identified clear paths forward. But here’s the next difficult question for you: How do you ensure these recommendations become part of your safety culture and don’t simply become another binder on…
Commissioning an independent investigation is a difficult decision for a youth organization, and it is only the beginning of the process. What happens after the report lands on your desk — how you read it, who sees it, what you do with it, and how…
As a full circle foster child, foster care worker and foster/adoptive parent, the life I have had has not been a walk-in-the-park. I lived many days as a child scrounging for food and facing shame in foster homes of other broken caregivers and youth. For…
This Friday, March 6th at sundown, something quiet and countercultural is happening around the world. Families, communities, and schools are powering down their devices for 24 hours as part of the Global Day of Unplugging — a worldwide movement that's been growing since 2009. The…
This is the latest in our series about hiring and supervising an independent investigator. Check our archive for the previous posts. You hired an independent investigator to find the truth. But knowing what "the truth" requires — and what a thorough search for it actually…
A groundbreaking new study tells us that kids with ADHD may not be destined to a life of difficulties after all. We’ve watched kids bounce off the walls during homework time, interrupt at the dinner table, lose their jacket for the fourth time this month,…
In times of trouble, there are still ways to find hope! Political controversies, the pandemic, crisis, mental health, disaster, fear, worry, anxiety, finances, and long-term effects of hard times seem to be the common language rolling off both our tongues and media platforms. Many days…
One type of independent investigation that youth organizations have to face more often than other groups are allegations of sexual abuse or sexual misconduct, whether recent or long-ago. Entering this territory requires both compassion and unflinching objectivity. Understanding how these values work together—rather than against…
Given that Valentine’s Day is coming up, this week is a natural time to focus on appreciating our spouses. But sometimes we don’t feel very appreciative, particularly during the difficult journey of parenting a blended or foster family. One of my closest friends…