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jrd_reads 's review for:
Invisible Child: Poverty, Survival, and Hope in an American City
by Andrea Elliott
This is an increadiby written book by a NYT journalist, following a family living in poverty from 2015-2021. It is a look at the homeless system and Child Protection Services (ACS) in NYC on an intimate level and how these systems are failing families. As a Social Worker, it is humbling to see in action the power of a poorly written notes/documentation has on keeping families apart. It was equal parts frustrating to see parents failing their kids at time, yet also recogizing how hard they were working "hustling". How a lifetime of trauma can make it difficult to maintain a job in a traditional sense. In Social Work there is a lot of talk of resilience with kids, but it still doesn't make it feel good that kids are in these situations. The amount of money spend on homeless services and family services needs to be reevaluated for more effective support.