“Can I tattoo you?” asks six-year-old Andrew. We sit after hours in a locked office in the courthouse as his mother storms outside. All I have are green and yellow highlighters. “Let’s listen to my favorite song,” Andrew encourages as he lines up these tools. I push up the sleeves of my shirt while Andrew plays the song on repeat, belting out the lines, Hello from the other side … I must’ve called a thousand times … Hello from the outside. As Andrew listens to a song about reconciliation, as he is in the process of separation, he begins drawing.
Dawn J. Post is an expert in children’s rights, advocacy and litigation, and seeks to bring greater attention to the issues that plague the child welfare system. Find Dawn at www.dawnjpost.com and on Twitter @dawnjpostesq.