About 60 people recently gathered for a special ceremony at the Michigan Child Welfare Training Institute in Detroit to be sworn in as newly minted caseworkers by Michigan Department of Human Services (DHS) Director Maura Corrigan.
What distinguished the group was that several were formerly in the foster care system themselves.
“I love to learn why people go into social work — it was heartwarming to hear from some who had been in foster care themselves how they want to make a difference in the lives of young people,” said Corrigan.
“Caseworkers are the lifeblood of what we do at DHS and I cannot remember ever having so many former foster care youth get sworn in as caseworkers, which to me signifies we are helping more of them graduate
from college.”
Three former foster care youth in the newly sworn in class are Angela Bowman, Paris Thomas, and Justin Flowers. Bowman is working for DHS, Thomas is working for Catholic Social Services of West Michigan and
Flowers is working for the Children’s Center in Detroit.
The three are among a small yet growing percentage of Michigan foster kids to graduate from college, officials say.
Bowman graduated from Western Michigan University. Thomas graduated from Mercyhurst University in Pennsylvania, and Flowers graduated with a master’s degree in social work from the University of Michigan.
New DHS caseworker Angela Bowman spent about three years in foster care beginning at age 15 and is now beginning her career at DHS as a foster care worker in Kalamazoo.
Historically, former foster youth have been vastly under-represented in colleges and universities, primarily because they lack family resources to pay for tuition and other expenses.
Bowman was a Seita Scholar at Western Michigan University where she earned a bachelor’s degree in social work, with a minor in criminal justice.
The Seita Scholars program supports up to 160 students annually. Benefits include a tuition scholarship, campus coaching support, leadership opportunities and career mentors.
There are similar programs at 11 other Michigan colleges and universities.
Currently, the state Legislature is considering a bill that would create a permanent endowment fund to be used for college costs for foster kids who age out of the foster care system.
It was unanimously approved by committee and, officials say, could be taken up in the full House later this month.
Bowman hopes to use her education — along with her own experiences as a foster child — to improve services for vulnerable children as a foster care worker.
She said she generally had a good experience in foster care but noticed care workers often focused their communications on her grandparents. She often felt left out of the process. As a caseworker, she hopes to bridge that gap by communicating more directly with foster children.
Flowers learned from personal experience that one caseworker can help turn a child’s life around. He said wants to be that person for many foster care youth on his way toward realizing his dream of one day
becoming the head of the Michigan Department of Human Services.
Thomas graduated with a bachelor’s degree in social work from Mercyhurst. She said she entered the field of social work “to help empower others who have struggles similar to those I encountered.”
Corrigan said future generations of vulnerable children “are in excellent hands with Angela, Paris, Justin and others in this newest crop of child welfare professionals.”
“I trust there will be more foster care alumni joining them,” she said. “Right now there are more than 300 18 to 21-year-olds from the foster care system who are tapping into the current pot of educational funding.
With more resources and better funding options we will be able to help even more.”
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