Foster Care Training

It has becoming easier for many of us to identify some systems of oppression, like racism or sexism, and know them for what they are when we see them enacted in our daily lives. Others, however, can be more challenging to notice, identify as oppression, and interrupt. Anti-fat bias (also discussed as fatphobia, sizeism, and/or weight stigma) is one such construct, partially because we do not often recognize the discrimination around body size as a system of oppression. What does this mean for how we go about our lives as change makers? As workers in the child welfare system? How can we adjust our understanding of these topics to mitigate the harm we may create, to provide adequate and inclusive care for each other, and to cocreate a world in which we can all thrive, regardless of body size? In this half-day interactive workshop, we will unpack anti-fat bias and weight stigma looking through the lens of oppression. Attendees will have a supported space to share experiences as we come to understand the differences between anti-fat bias and other hurtful comments and interactions. Together, we will expand our perspectives and gain a better understanding the social framework in which we live. Participants will have an opportunity to explore their own socialization with a focus on body size and to consider how anti-fat bias and weight stigma continue to impact our understandings and experiences of societal inequities and affect the care we all receive in healthcare, wellness, and everyday life. We will also consider ways to recognize, discuss, and challenge sizeism and anti-fat bias in our daily interactions.