The Museums of Lost Childhoods & Foster Youth
Empowerment were created in the process of
developing curriculum for our full-day Child Welfare Supervisor training. The museums were displayed throughout the day
as an integral component of the training curriculum.In their original training context, the museums were
presented one at a time.The Museum of Lost Childhoods
was displayed for the first half of the day, and the Museum of Foster Youth
Empowerment for the second half of the day.This proved to be a logistical challenge, so
we began presenting both museums simultaneously for the duration of
the training, sequencing them intentionally so the Museum
of Lost Childhoods would be viewed
before the Museum
of Foster Youth Empowerment. This form of presentation has proved to be very powerful, and we are currently assessing the museums as a possible stand-alone traveling exhibit. If you have questions about the museum or would like to bring the museum to your agency, please contact Sandra (see the contact information).
Summary
The Museums of Lost Childhoods and Foster Youth
Empowerment are a collection of artifacts of foster youth culture.Many of these artifacts are actual items from
former foster youth’s lives, contributed to the museum in hopes of making an
impact on the Child Welfare System.The
items are showcased on risers or in cases, displayed on black tablecloths.Each artifact is accompanied by a description
of the item in the context of foster care, as well as the experience of the
person who contributed it.The artifacts
in the Museum of Lost Childhoods include such items as
empty bottles of medical prescriptions, a sanitary napkin made of toilet paper
stapled together, and a hospital gown a youth was required to wear while living
in a psychiatric facility. The Museum
of Foster Youth Empowerment
includes such items as a youth’s journal, pictures of a youth’s current family,
and a display of college graduation items. Click below to see a sample slideshow of the museum.
