ASBURY PARK, N.J. – Over the past six years, the New Jersey Department of Children and Families (DCF) has been actively working to change the narrative of child welfare in the state, promoting a vision of a family-serving system aimed at ensuring safety, health, and connection for all individuals. Next month, this vision will be showcased on the big screen as the documentary short film "Truth to Transformation" premieres at the 22nd Annual Garden State Film Festival in Asbury Park.
"Truth to Transformation recognizes that the only way we can advance as a child welfare system – to reconcile our intentions with outcomes for children and families, to acknowledge that family separation causes trauma, and to elevate the expertise of people who have been through the system – is to face the uncomfortable truths of historic child welfare practices," said NJ DCF Commissioner Christine Norbut Beyer. "I’m so grateful to our three co-designers, Tamia, Dashaan, and Kayann, for being vulnerable and sharing their stories."
The documentary features Tamia Govan, Dashaan Jennings, and Kayann Foster – individuals with lived experience in New Jersey’s child welfare system who are now co-designers for the Powerful Families, Powerful Communities NJ (PFPC-NJ) initiative. This public-private partnership led by DCF aims to reshape child welfare in New Jersey by creating conditions where families can thrive without involvement in child protective services.
"The healing that the co-designers talk about in this film mirrors the healing of the child welfare system as a whole," said Benita Miller, former Executive Director for PFPC-NJ. "If we’re serious about achieving positive outcomes for families on our caseloads, we need to reconcile our relationship with families and communities."
Initially conceived as a training tool for DCF staff and partners within the child welfare space, "Truth to Transformation" evolved into a full-length film under documentarian Cheryl Miller Houser's direction. The film captures personal stories from Tamia Govan, Dashaan Jennings, and Kayann Foster while featuring insights from national child welfare thought leaders Dr. David Sanders and Dr. Amelia Franck Meyer.
"It was an honor to capture the transformation of the child welfare system in New Jersey through Tamia’s, Dashaan’s and Kayann’s moving stories," said Cheryl Miller Houser.
Upon viewing its final cut, DCF decided to make "Truth to Transformation" available beyond internal use. Screenings at various film festivals are planned alongside community screenings coordinated with external partners both within New Jersey and nationally.
The Garden State Film Festival provides an apt launching point for this powerful film. Founded in 2002 as New Jersey’s premier independent film festival honoring its legacy as American cinema's birthplace; it attracts filmmakers worldwide annually.
"It is our honor and privilege to be able to tell this not-to-be-missed story," said Diane Raver founder of Garden State Film Festival.
