The Overloaded: Understanding Neglect podcast returns for its fourth season to change the narrative on how we think about families overloaded by stress and the systems that too often come up short in their greatest times of need. Too many families experience an overload of stress related to financial insecurity, social isolation, lack of support, or the impact of systemic racism and interpersonal trauma. When overloaded, families need empathy and support, yet dominant, often harmful narratives lead many to meet them with suspicion or mistrust. Every season of Overloaded has explored those stressors like poverty and social isolation that overload families. But this season, we’re looking at something more invisible, the stories behind those forces; and how stories shape what we believe, how we act, and who we hold responsible. When those stories get stuck in the past, in fear, or in harm, they shape the systems and conditions that overload families instead of supporting them. If we want to improve outcomes for children and families, we first have to understand the narratives that define how we see them. Those narratives inform our policies and priorities and inspire or shutter what is possible. Changing those narratives takes intention, courage, and collective effort. Together, we can tell a story that uplifts instead of blames, that prevents harm before it happens. In Season 4, we’re taking apart the stories that define our families, our communities, and our future, and building better ones together. Season 4 features an incredible lineup of experts, changemakers, and thought leaders. Guests include: • Jess Moyer, Frameworks Institute • Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, an award-winning pediatrician and former California Surgeon General • Dr. Bruce Perry, renowned psychiatrist and co-author with Oprah Winfrey of What Happened to You? • Desmond Meade, Time Magazine 100 Most Influential People and MacArthur Foundation “Genius Fellow” • Claudia Rowe, National Book Awards finalist for Wards of the State: The Long Shadow of American Foster Care and veteran investigative journalist • Rinku Sen, executive director of Narrative Initiative • Tarik Moody, Radio Milwaukee host • Valerie Frost, national lived experience expert • Shary Tran, our very own Children’s VP of Belonging and Workforce Development • And many more inspirational changemakers. Listen to the new season's trailer now and join us for a new episode of Overloaded: Understanding Neglect every Wednesday beginning on February 4th. Subscribe and listen wherever you follow your podcasts.
0:08 - Luke Waldo: The first three seasons of Overloaded explored the forces that overload families from poverty to social isolation, systemic racism to mistrust of our systems. But this season, we're looking at something more invisible, the stories behind those forces. And how stories shape what we believe, how we act, and who we hold responsible.
Join me, Luke Waldo, on Wednesday, February 4th for season 4 of Overloaded: Understanding Neglect, where we're taking apart the stories that define our families, our communities, and our future, and building better ones together.
Through conversations with changemakers like Frameworks Institute’s Jess Moyer…
0:59 – Jess Moyer: What we're talking about is kind of an ambitious endeavor. And what we're seeking to change are things that are really entrenched.
1:08 – Luke Waldo: Doctors Nadine Burke Harris and Bruce Perry…
1:11 – Dr. Nadine Burke Harris: Do you want me to speak truthfully?
1:13 - Dr. Bruce Perry: People tend to view the world and problems from their frame of reference.
1:18 - Dr. Nadine Burke Harris: The more you just kind of scrape under the surface the easier it is to recognize that those structures are not accidental.
1:28 – Luke Waldo: National Book Award finalist Claudia Rowe…
1:31 - Claudia Rowe: Some of those storylines have not changed all that much, and I am surprised, frankly, that I still encounter them even up to, you know, like last week.
1:42 – Luke Waldo: American Bar Association Center on Children and the Law Director Prudence Beidler Carr…
1:47 - Prudence Beidler Carr: We've essentially created a mechanism for determining that a child who was living in a home where the parents were found unfit, not because they've abused their child, not because there's an imminent risk of harm, not because that child has experienced a safety issue, but because the parents sought help, were rejected from that help, and now unfit to care for their child, so their child is removed from their care.
2:15 – Luke Waldo: National Lived Experience Leader Valerie Frost…
2:18 – Valerie Frost: You know it’s really humbling to have systems involvement in that way that’s shocking. Because I now know, for the rest of my life, I don’t really have anything. Right now, on this call, CPS could come knock on my door, they could go pick up my kids from school. They could do any day.
2:36 – Luke Waldo: And Anti-Hate Advocate Pardeep Singh Kaleka amongst many others, we explore the question: “What stories shape how we see the world? And how can we tell them differently?
2:49 – Pardeep Singh Kaleka: Maybe we can go past what we say about each other…
2:55 – Luke Waldo: Join us on Wednesday, February 4th when we premiere season 4 wherever you listen to your podcasts.
Overloaded: Understanding Neglect - Season 4 Trailer
0:08 - Luke Waldo: The first three seasons of Overloaded explored the forces that overload families from poverty to social isolation, systemic racism to mistrust of our systems. But this season, we're looking at something more invisible, the stories behind those forces. And how stories shape what we believe, how we act, and who we hold responsible.
Join me, Luke Waldo, on Wednesday, February 4th for season 4 of Overloaded: Understanding Neglect, where we're taking apart the stories that define our families, our communities, and our future, and building better ones together.
Through conversations with changemakers like Frameworks Institute’s Jess Moyer…
0:59 – Jess Moyer: What we're talking about is kind of an ambitious endeavor. And what we're seeking to change are things that are really entrenched.
1:08 – Luke Waldo: Doctors Nadine Burke Harris and Bruce Perry…
1:11 – Dr. Nadine Burke Harris: Do you want me to speak truthfully?
1:13 - Dr. Bruce Perry: People tend to view the world and problems from their frame of reference.
1:18 - Dr. Nadine Burke Harris: The more you just kind of scrape under the surface the easier it is to recognize that those structures are not accidental.
1:28 – Luke Waldo: National Book Award finalist Claudia Rowe…
1:31 - Claudia Rowe: Some of those storylines have not changed all that much, and I am surprised, frankly, that I still encounter them even up to, you know, like last week.
1:42 – Luke Waldo: American Bar Association Center on Children and the Law Director Prudence Beidler Carr…
1:47 - Prudence Beidler Carr: We've essentially created a mechanism for determining that a child who was living in a home where the parents were found unfit, not because they've abused their child, not because there's an imminent risk of harm, not because that child has experienced a safety issue, but because the parents sought help, were rejected from that help, and now unfit to care for their child, so their child is removed from their care.
2:15 – Luke Waldo: National Lived Experience Leader Valerie Frost…
2:18 – Valerie Frost: You know it’s really humbling to have systems involvement in that way that’s shocking. Because I now know, for the rest of my life, I don’t really have anything. Right now, on this call, CPS could come knock on my door, they could go pick up my kids from school. They could do any day.
2:36 – Luke Waldo: And Anti-Hate Advocate Pardeep Singh Kaleka amongst many others, we explore the question: “What stories shape how we see the world? And how can we tell them differently?
2:49 – Pardeep Singh Kaleka: Maybe we can go past what we say about each other…
2:55 – Luke Waldo: Join us on Wednesday, February 4th when we premiere season 4 wherever you listen to your podcasts.