Our goal is to have Here For The Kids reach a wide audience, the kind needed to catalytically shift a long-outdated public narrative about the child welfare system, and begin a new public conversation about what it would really mean to care about the welfare of children and their families. We want this film to catalyze new conversations about what it truly means to protect children and support families.
AUDIENCE
Our intended audience breaks down into 4 categories:
General public who are uninformed about CPS (primary audience)
These are people who have never really interacted with the CW system – and those who vaguely think of it as a “helping” institution. After they watch this film they will see the CW system as one that unfairly/unjustly harms families, and they will leave with a conviction that in almost all cases, the best way to support kids is by supporting their parents.
People working in or adjacent to the CW system & policy makers
Child welfare professionals across all levels, including frontline workers, agency leaders (state, local, federal including HHS, ACS, Children’s Bureau), private foster care and adoption agencies, and federal and state legislators. After watching this film, we hope that they be more open to considering that a system that they believed was helping children is doing more harm than good. We do not want them to feel ashamed or defensive, but be open to an opportunity to reflect on their role in this system and reconsider the power and decisions they have within their control to better support families.
People with lived experience who feel harmed by the Child Welfare system
Parents, current and former foster youth, adoptees, current and former foster parents, and extended family/friends. We want this group to leave this film feeling seen and feel that the film accurately captured their experiences with the CW system – that we “got it.”
People with lived experience who feel helped by the Child Welfare system
Parents, current and former foster youth, current and former foster parents, adoptive parents, adoptees, and extended family/friends. We want this audience to watch our film and leave with a willingness to look at their experiences within the larger system in a new way. Our criticism of the system in no way negates their positive experiences, but we hope that they see in this film the complexity surrounding those experiences.
IMPACT
Our primary focus is to generate grass-roots community engagement. Even before production, we are beginning to partner with advocacy organizations, law schools, social work programs and medical schools to connect directly with an engaged audience. As we are editing, we will be showing scenes and rough cuts to our partners for their feedback. We will submit to key film festivals to help raise awareness, while we will host in-person screenings around the country to reach as many people as possible.