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The Chronicle of Social Change
Mental Health After Foster Care
J. Christian Bell spent four years in the foster system in Georgia, from ages 2-6. Joining the army in 2012, he served as an infantryman and later as a sniper in a reconnaissance platoon. He graduated Cum Laude from Piedmont University with degrees in sociology and anthropology in 2021. He is currently an intern at Unbelievably Resilient, a nonprofit dedicated to shattering stigmas and stereotypes associated with those who have been in the foster system.
The Compounded Issues of Native Youth in the Juvenile Justice System
Jacqueline Robles is a policy enthusiast, consultant, and most importantly, a dog mom of two. After living in the Los Angeles foster care system in the Indian Child Welfare unit for over 15 years of her life, Robles was tired of the same statistics of Black and brown youth failing in the system. Identifying as both Indigenous and Latina, Robles was set on a career to “level the playing field” for youth of color. Robles has sat in various leadership positions to advocate and shape policy for Los Angeles’s foster youth. Currently, Robles is a consultant for the Office of Child Protection, working on a national initiative for foster youth called “Thriving Families, Safer Children.” Robles is a Youth Commissioner for the Board of Supervisors and was appointed by Board of Supervisor Janice Hahn. Robles earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business management at California State University, Long Beach and is projected to earn a master's degree in Public Policy from UCLA in June 2022.
‘To Be Ripped Away From Your Family’
Monique B. Mitchell is the executive director of Life Transitions International and the Director of Training & Translational Research and National Director of L.Y.G.H.T. at Dougy Center: The National Grief Center for Children & Families.
Let’s Ensure All California Youth Can Access Mental Health Care
Ria Babaria and Fiona Lu advise on policy at GenUp, a nationwide student-led social justice organization and student activist coalition that advocates for education through the power of youth voices.
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Launched in 2013, The Chronicle of Social Change is an independent, nonpartisan daily news publication dedicated to covering the child welfare, juvenile justice, mental health and educational issues faced by vulnerable children and families.
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