For children in need of foster care, a family who can give them a home when no others are available is a lifeline. But as in many aspects of our society, the pandemic has made matching children with stable, caring homes more difficult. In this re-broadcast of And Another Thing we hear how foster families are making a difference in the region and working through the challenges coronavirus presents.
We meet William McClendon, a Connecticut foster parent, who was once in the system himself, and shares what it means to give back. “I feel really triumphant to be able to overcome so many adversities, and when you’re going through it, it’s so hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel”, says McClendon.
The head of the nation’s largest teachers’ union describes the resilience that families and teachers have shown while trying to educate children during the pandemic. She tells And Another Thing how she and other teachers have adapted to meet the challenges COVID-19 poses in the classroom.
This episode of And Another Thing was originally broadcast on May 4, 2021.
Guests:
- Adriana Zwick, President of SEIU Union local #509, which represents workers employed by Massachusetts Department of Children and Families
- Jennifer Matos, Asst. Professor of Psychology and Education at Mount Holyoke College
- William McClendon, Hartford-Foster Parent and former foster child
- Becky Pringle, President, National Education Association