Ruba Khan

My journey in child welfare began from a deeply personal place. I am a former foster youth, and my lived experience in the system shaped everything I do today. While I was in foster care, I started interning and working for foster care. I became part of the Youth Advisory Board and worked as a youth advocate, speaking on policies and things that were already in place. Living those policies in the system, I had my own feedback and opinions, so I was able to share those and make some changes. I attended conferences and meetings and seminars as a speaker, and it was a great experience. I was around 19, 20, 21 at the time, still in college. After I graduated from Binghamton University on a full ride scholarship, I started working as a case planner in preventive services, which is the step before foster care. I worked with families with similar backgrounds from where I was from, from third world countries, South Asian countries, and Muslim countries. These communities don't really have foster care programs or any Office of Children and Family Services, so when they come here, they feel like what they've been doing is normal, but then they get in trouble and they're confused. I really enjoyed working with the families because I was able to help them understand what's going on and relate to them in their language, bringing in culturally competent services. I also worked facilitating meetings and trainings that were provided to foster care parents and foster care workers. I was able to help edit and create trainings as well as facilitate them. That was a great experience. Now I'm in a supervisory role, managing 48 to 52 cases with 4 case planners under me. It's a great team and a great experience. In every role that I go, I try to make sure that because I was in the past roles and I'm moving up, I'm not bossing but I'm leading. I try to make sure that I'm not adding on work to anyone's tasks, but instead helping them feel that they're supported and helping them do their jobs. I'm currently completing my Master's in Social Work in the Advanced Clinical Practice Track at Columbia University, and I have 2 more months until I graduate. I recently became a mom, and when I find time for myself, I really enjoy cooking.