Health The roots of mental health start younger than you think When you throw a rock in a pond, it creates ripples. It spreads - disrupting the water further and further away from the point of entry. The experience of trauma or adversity -- especially in early childhood -- can also have a lasting ripple effect on a person’s life. Libby Denkmann Liz Jones Sarah Leibovitz Play AudioListen 29 mins
Government Washington state's new solution for foster parents and child care Every year, Washington state struggles to find placements for hundreds of the about 8,000 children in foster care. One problem is that a lot of licensed foster parents in Washington state can’t take in kids under 5 at all. Eilís O'Neill
Health KUOW's Swimming Upstream KUOW's three-part series "Swimming Upstream" details the mental health-focused journey of one Seattle-area family through crisis. Liz Jones
Health A family’s newfound resolve is tested — again: Swimming Upstream After a major setback, a family’s will to keep up life-saving routines is put to the test. Liz Jones
Health Breaking a cycle of generational trauma: Swimming Upstream A couple lost custody of their daughter after sinking deep into drug addiction. But an unanticipated event prompted them to turn things around. Liz Jones
Health A family’s mental health journey out of crisis: Swimming Upstream A family was ripped apart by drug addiction. Now, they're picking up the pieces one day — and several mental health-focused strategies — at a time. Liz Jones Play AudioListen 9 mins
National Decades after foster care, she learned she was owed benefits. Where did the money go? After reading an investigation by NPR and the Marshall Project, former foster youth are asking what happened to their benefits — and the government isn't helping. Alexandra Arriaga
Crime Case of missing Washington 5-year-old highlights secrecy around CPS cases There are more questions than answers in the case of a missing former foster child from Grays Harbor County. Five-year-old Oakley Carlson has been unaccounted for since February of last year. Police say her parents aren’t cooperating with the investigation. Oakley’s former foster mom questions why Oakley was sent back to live with her parents after more than two years in foster care. The governor's office and the Department of Children Youth and Families won't answer questions about the case citing privacy laws and the ongoing law enforcement investigation. Austin Jenkins Play AudioListen 8 mins
Law & Courts 'I was raised to be an animal, and that's what happened.' Arthur Longworth's long, troubling path toward redemption ‘There's an enormous amount of realization these days, an appreciation for the unbelievable rates of incarceration among young people, either while they're in foster care or immediately afterwards.’ Kim Malcolm John O'Brien Play AudioListen 9 mins
Arts & Life “Don’t take my silence as weakness.” A teen shares her experience in the foster care system There are currently more than 400,000 children and teens in foster care in the United States. Kemijah Slaughter was one of those children. As a senior in high school, Kemijah is empowered to tell her story on her own terms. Kemijah Slaughter Play AudioListen 5 mins
