Get Involved

Former youth in “care” and families

  • Artists from “care”Join our directory so newsrooms in our collaborative can find and hire you to produce art/photos for stories.

  • Work safely with journalistsThis downloadable guide was made for people with lived experience in the so-called child “welfare” system. Developed by lived expert and educator Nebula Shen, it covers:

    • how to pitch a story to a journalist
    • what to do before, during and after an interview
    • rules and ethical guidelines journalists should follow
    • confidentiality and anonymity
    • safe storytelling (self-care, boundary setting, etc.)
  • Fellowships — We hire people with lived experience in the child “welfare” system to help plan and deliver community workshops.

  • Sensitivity editors — We train and pay people who have lived through the so-called “child welfare” system to review stories by journalists before they’re published. To learn more, contact cheyanne@spotlightchildwelfare.com.

Journalists

  • Join our collaborative — We’re building a community of practicing journalists committed to reporting on the child “welfare” system in a respectful, relational and trauma-informed way. Learn more here.

  • Student journalists and educators — we offer internships, lesson plans and opportunities to participate in collaborative reporting projects.

Community workshops

We hire people with lived experience in the child “welfare” system to help plan and deliver community workshops where former youth in “care,” impacted families and advocates can:

  • Connect with each other and local journalists
  • Learn about news production basics (media literacy)
  • Discuss media coverage of the child “welfare” system and challenge standard journalistic practices
  • Share story/investigation ideas
  • Discuss your rights and ways to work safely with journalists

Learnings from community workshops inform the journalism produced by the media partners in our collaborative. In 2026, we plan to host workshops in New Brunswick and Alberta. To learn more, email info@spotlightchildwelfare.com.

More resources

A Guide to the Guides: What to Know About LGBTQ Style Guides for Journalists by Beth Hawkins of The 74, Kae Petrin of Chalkbeat, Justin Myers of Chicago Sun-Times, Mike Hixenbaugh of NBC News for the Education Writers Association