My Journey Through the Child Welfare Enterprise
By: Mary C. Young
My Journey Through the Child Welfare Enterprise details Mary Young's experience with the Child Welfare system. Young explores the intricacies of a system which she held prejudices against and the nuances within the system. Through this exploration, Young becomes aware of both the good and bad within the system as well as the change she herself was able to make in the lives of many.
About the Author
Mary Young married early at the age of 16 and found herself a single mother by age 21. Her interest in community advocacy began at an early age as a result of watching her mother participate in her school's PTA meetings. Which later led to Young starting her own PTA association within her children's school district. With an interest in child welfare and family services, she went on to receive her Associates's from Robert Morris University, and her Bachelor's and Master's degree from University of Pittsburgh within a 6-year span. During her internships in school, Young worked with social workers in the Greenway Middle School District counseling special needs students, as well as parents and teachers in best teaching practices. She then went on to the State Bureau Corrections Women Community Service Center where she was responsible for counseling women in the pre-release center, addressing issues related to their incarceration, personal development, vocation, employment, recovery, and family issues.
Young's career has seen her working for a variety of companies in varying roles including Behavioral Counseling, Social Work, Recruiting, Foster Care Management, and casework as an Assistant Deputy Director.
Young is an active member of her community. She is a member of the NAACP board and a member of BPEP (Black Political Empowerment Project, President of Ounce of Prevention Inc.) in North Versailles under Mt. Carmel Baptist Church.
