Designed to Fail: Lost in the System
In Episode 3 of Fracture to Flourish, host Bryce Butler follows a single composite case file to show how a foster care system not designed around children can leave youth invisible, unprotected, and easy to traffic.
Instead of starting with a trafficker, this episode starts with the paper trail: routine notes, missed court dates, closed runaway reports, copy‑pasted case notes, and the quiet ways warnings can die in separate inboxes. Along the way, you’ll hear how placement instability, isolation, and unmet basic needs can create the space where exploitation takes root.
You’ll also hear from people who have watched these patterns up close: survivor voices, practitioners working with schools and foster care systems, policy leaders, and advocates pushing for practical reforms like integrated data systems, specialized missing‑from‑care units, and multidisciplinary teams that keep information from staying siloed.
Content advisory: This episode includes frank discussion of abuse and exploitation involving children and families. Please take care as you listen.
Resources
National Human Trafficking Hotline (US): Call 1‑888‑373‑7888 or text BEFREE (233733)
RAINN (sexual assault support): rainn.org
National Runaway Safeline: 1‑800‑RUNAWAY (786‑2929) or 1800runaway.org
NAMI (mental health support): nami.org
