Children in the foster care system face a variety of challenges, but when a foster child also has a child of her own, the challenges are drastically multiplied. This video follows the day-to-day struggles of Melissa, a fifteen-year-old foster child with a seven-month old medical needs daughter, Raven.
Raven, who was born with 50% brain damage, has been placed in a foster home with Karen, a foster mother who specializes in raising medical needs children. Raven has showed tremendous progress while under Karen’s care, but she still requires multiple medications several times a day and frequent medical attention. Melissa, who was on the run even while giving birth to Raven, was recently placed in Karen’s foster home as well, so she is now able to be with her daughter.
Focusing on the acute needs of one foster family, this video answers many questions about the nature of foster care. Melissa’s story not only represents the journey of a teenager through the foster care system, but also shows how the foster care system handles teen parents and their children. Through candid interviews and the involvement of a dedicated caseworker, this video presents a day in the life of a teen mom in foster care as she faces her tremendous new responsibilities, and demonstrates the various interventions necessary to help Melissa and her child.
