Lost & Found

1

May 2025
New York City
Population: 8.8 million

It was a cool spring morning in New York City, tall glass buildings of Midtown glistened in the early sunlight. And the streets were busy with the usual city traffic, but inside the large committee room on the top floor of the U.S. Courthouse, things were tense.

Fatima Wilson, known for her work in child welfare, sat in the middle of a long wooden table. The meeting had been called to discuss possible new legislation, that she came up with throughout her independent work advocating for reform. Her new legislation is aimed at fixing the current system and holding cops and social workers accountable for their gross negligence as well as ensuring the safety and well-being of the kids.

She would often glance at her notes, making sure she hit the key points because this majority Republic party seemed to nit pick anything she stated as a means to suggest she was not educated or didn't know her 'role' as an advocator. Some Republican committee members even stated they weren't sure about her ideas. Still, she was ready. Dressed in a sharp navy-blue suit, her calm and determined look showed she was prepared to face the challenge ahead.

Regardless of their unsolicited opinions on her, this was her calling. She knew it was. This was the result of years of hard work, she knew exactly how hard it would be to go in front of this committee as a Black Woman, no less, and tell them where they have fell short at. The last thing any of them wants to hear is that a black woman is critiquing their incompetence of fulfilling certain job duties, that they were elected to fix.

The chairman, Senator Reeves, an old Republican, cleared his throat and leaned forward. He had a weathered face, the result of decades in politics, and his piercing blue eyes scanned the room. "All right, Mrs. Wilson..." He began, his southern accent coating his words with an air of caution, "We've read through your proposals, and I must say, there are parts of it that are... troubling..." He trailed off, hoping she wouldn't ask for him to explain.

Still she didn't flinch. She met his gaze, her tone calm but firm. "What is troubling about them?" She asked fixing her posture. "Because I specifically laid out the ground work, brought up statistics about them, and demonstrated just how beneficial these things would be if implemented." She glanced at her notes again before turning to look at him, "So my question to you is, what exactly is troubling about the things I mentioned?"

He cleared his throat before running his pen down his own set of notes he had taken down. "Well for starters...criminal liability for social workers? That seems like a drastic step, don't you thing?" He asked looking back up at her.

Yet again, she didn't flinch. "With all due respect, Senator Reeves, we're not talking about your typical social worker. We're talking about cases of extreme negligence—where a child dies or is put in serious danger because a social worker didn't follow the rules. These are preventable tragedies, and the people responsible should face consequences. Just like a parent can go to jail if their actions lead to a child's death, the same should apply here. The difference is, social workers are paid to do their job, and they need a degree to become one. So, they knew the responsibility when they took the job." Her response was clear and straightforward.

Senator Matthews, another Republican member, interjected. He was younger than Reeves, with slicked-back hair and an air of cocky confidence. "Mrs. Taylor, you're painting a picture where social workers are the bad guys. These are people in overburdened systems with limited resources. How can we hold them criminally liable when the real issue is the lack of funding and support?"

She leaned forward slightly, her voice sharpening. "Senator Matthews, I'm fully aware that social workers are overburdened. I've worked with them for years, and I know the challenges they face. That was another reason why I suggested we add incentives to pique interest for more social workers, free college education for them, or something else that can draw interest for more job applications." She replied back intentionally, knowing the senator proved her point. She already mentioned the workload they are faced with.