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DEIJ Statement

Hands Across The Water believes in guiding its work through a lens of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice, a practice with requires constant attention, discussion and collaboration. This is an ongoing commitment.

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Hands Across The Water is committed to having the difficult conversations and making the changes necessary to confront head-on the racial disparities present not only in society as whole, but in our agency and in the work that we do with children and families.  Our mission, to support and empower families through inclusive, strengths-based services, is the core of our identity.   

However, we recognize that our work itself exists within a context of historically racist systems, and thus are challenged to use our positions of power within those systems make changes from within, advocate for those who have been negatively affected and to demand reform. Hands Across The Water remains dedicated to addressing these challenges in the following ways: 

  • Implicit Bias training for all agency staff 

  • Offer regular opportunities monthly to participate in trainings, roundtable discussions or resource sharing for staff to address cultural competency topics 

  • Intentional focus on the recruitment and retention of a diverse staff, Board members and foster/adoptive parents for the children in our care 

  • Supporting the work of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Justice committee, whose mission is to grow and maintain a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion in all departments at HATW.  Our strength is our pledge to be inclusive with strategies that intend to welcome and uplift historically marginalized peoples within our field and the communities that we serve  

  • Staff participation in statewide efforts to support DEIJ efforts among child welfare agencies. 

  • Agency focus on education and thorough assessment for foster and adoptive parents who are parenting transracially.  

  • A staff member (Quality Compliance and Data Associate) is assigned to both co-lead DEIJ efforts and make sure we are acting on what we have expressed as priorities.  

  • Expansion of agency family preservation and prevention services, as well as strengths-based and inclusive approaches with families to increase the likelihood of family reunification after removal. 

  • Commitment to serving underserved communities in behavioral health through Medicaid providers  

We believe that our work, when done with a constant eye towards improvement and self-reflection, demonstrates social justice in action. Hands Across The Water is committed to ensuring that the marginalized communities we serve are respected, heard and served with equal regard, care and dedication. 

Additionally HATW’s DEIJ Committee acts as an internal “Change Team”, or working group, whose goal is to provide leadership and momentum around organizational change to achieve a race equity culture and socially just environment for all HATW staff by providing oversight of DEIJ efforts and ensure DEIJ priorities are operationalized within two areas of focus:  

  1. DEIJ staff development  

  1. Organizational framework (practices and policies) 

 

HATW follows a non-discrimination practice and does not establish our screening criteria for employment, or service provision, based on race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, height, weight, familial/marital, status, disability, military service obligation, veteran status, or any other basis protected by federal, state, or local laws. 

 

HATW is committed to providing all youth and families served a safe, healthy, inclusive, and affirming environment. 

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Contact Us today

T: 734-477-0135

F: 734-477-0213

E: info@hatw.org

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Photos of children used on the Hands Across The Water website are stock images, except where children's photos have been supplied by their adoptive families on the Family Stories page, and on the Waiting Children page. HATW does not post photos of children available for adoption on our website, with the exception of waiting children whose photos profiles are approved by the State of Michigan for publication.

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