What Are Adverse Childhood Experiences?

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Reunification demands everything of parents, even when they have almost no resources to succeed.

The barriers families face do not reflect individual failure or deficiency. They reflect the system's design.

Too often the support parents receive depends on whether a social worker has counted them out.

Every mandated reporter should walk in a parent's shoes before filing a report.

On June 5th, 2026, I stopped being Dr. Rupi Legha and became Tiana Flores.

Tiana is 29 years old, Asian/Pacific Islander, and a mother fighting to regain custody of her two-year-old daughter, Mia. She graduated from high school and worked several retail and service jobs before a mistake that resulted in her arrest for shoplifting. She served 14 months in jail, and during that time she was separated from her daughter.

Tiana earns $500 a week as seasonal retail staff, working part-time. She does not own a vehicle. She relies on public bus transportation. She is currently staying with a friend. Rent: $2,000. Deposit: $500. She doesn't have any IDs. Because of her criminal record, many employers are hesitant to hire her.

Nothing About Us Without Us

Tiana is fictional — but drawn from lives that are very real. Her story was printed on a Life Card handed to me at the start of Walking in Their Shoes: The Effects of Separation — An Immersive Simulation Event. It was organized by Families Inspiring Reentry & Reunification 4 Everyone (FIR4E).

The woman who built it, Stephanie Jeffcoat, is a survivor, organizer, and now a law student. Her daughter was taken away and adopted out while she was in custody for a........

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