Working With Youth Impacted by the Child Welfare System

Devon Abejo is a teen services librarian with King County Library System in the Seattle, Washington metro area. She has had nineteen foster children in her care over the past six years. In 2021, she was honored with the Unsung Heroes Award from the Washington State Department of Children, Youth & Families and the Stella Mae Carmichael Award from the Amara foster care agency. She earned a her MLIS from San Jose State University and BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She has spoken about her work as a foster parent and librarian, and the impact libraries can have on families affected by the child welfare system, for ALA and other organizations. Between the bustle of being a librarian and foster mom, she enjoys practicing her millenary skills.  

Many teens in foster care experience trauma unfathomable to most of us. Keeping abreast of the most up-to-date information around trauma-informed care is a meaningful way to provide services to this demographic. Just being a compassionate adult in a teen’s life can be a very important part of our work as librarians. Learning to lead with authenticity can help to bridge these relationships.   

This webinar is the third in a series on Trauma-Informed Librarianship. You can find upcoming webinars on this topic under our Spotlight Speaker Series.