Jewel Harris interviewed by Haley Nelson of ABC6 and Fox28

 

OHIO YAB Youth Ambassador Jewel Harris was recently interviewed by reporter Haley Nelson. The interview aired on ABC6 and Fox28 news on Friday May 5, 2023. 

Jewel shared her insights as a former foster youth who is soon to become a foster parent, and an approved child welfare through the Ohio Child Welfare Training Program:

Jewel Harris is 24 years old now. But at ages three and 13, Harris told ABC6/FOX28 she went into foster care.

"You'll wake up one day, and you'll go to school, and then you'll get out of school, and all your stuff will be packed up full of trash bags...and someone's picking you up like, 'oh, yeah, you're moving'," Harris said.

She moved across Northwest Ohio, becoming, she says, very self-sufficient in the process. "Like 13 going on 30. The caseworkers didn't really have much of an interest into my daily life," she said.

Harris now does advocacy work. She says she is also involved in the training of caseworkers and families, and more.

"I understand that caseworkers are vital," Harris said. "I understand that they're not getting paid, you know as much as the work that they put in...there are not enough caseworkers for all these kiddos. I understand all of these things. However, my only recommendation would be to increase it; the increase the substance within the trainings."

She's sharing her experiences with foster care and caseworkers, as ABC6/FOX28 continues to look into the system, and the role caseworkers play in the lives of kids.

Harris is taking the next step on her own journey: from foster child to potential foster parent.

"How can I help? How can I help fill that gap? And honestly, I've been through a lot, and I've learned a lot and I feel like everything that I've ever went through is so that other people can learn," she said.