Jeff Knapp

One of the best ways to reduce the stigma of Mental Illness is to talk about it. Jeff candidly shares his personal journey as a teen through anxiety and depression which led to a hospitalization. From not wanting to talk about it, due to guilt and shame, to sharing his story openly with all. Through this story, the hope is to reduce stigma and shame about dealing with mental health concerns throughout one's life and inspire professionals to continue this important work as life savers.

Jeff and his spouse didn't choose to be foster parents, a child chose them. Through this journey, their family went through a roller coaster of ups and downs with a foster care system that did not always consider the nuances of an infant in the child welfare system. This candid discussion focuses on ways that all who work in child welfare can work to assist infants in being successful in the child welfare system. Coming from the foster parent perspective, Jeff hopes to build partnerships among child welfare workers, judges, and foster parents to help build bright futures for infants.