About Rise

Founded in 2005 and led by parents impacted by the family policing system, Rise believes that parents have the answers for their families and communities. Our mission is to empower parents to be leaders and to create communities that invest in families and offer collective care, healing and support.

Rise continues to hold fast to a future vision of communities that are free from injustice, separation, and a society that is cultivating new ways of preventing and addressing harm. We imagine a radical commitment to ensuring that all families have what they need to live beyond survival and truly thrive. This new mission does not change that and it reflects the focus of Rise’s current work towards that ultimate vision.

We create safe spaces where impacted parents can reflect on their lives, connect with peers, learn about the family policing system’s history and policies, strengthen their writing, public speaking and advocacy skills, and mobilize their communities for justice.

Learn more about our vision and how you can get involved.

News

Rise Parent Leaders Present Reform Recommendations at CUNY Law Symposium on Family Court

April 08, 2016 by

Four parent leaders from Rise presented parents’ perspectives on facing New York City Family Courts at the CUNY Law School symposium “Reimagining Family Defense” on April 8. Drawing on interviews with dozens of parents with current child welfare cases and stories published in Rise’s parent-written magazine over the past 10 years, Piazadora Footman, Robbyne Wiley, Bevanjae Kelley and Nancy Fortunato described common themes in parents’ experiences facing the court and gave recommendations for reform.

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About Rise

September 29, 2015 by

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“Many people assume that women who lose their children to foster care are not only challenged in meeting the demands of motherhood, but are also bad people: incompetent, selfish, and morally defective. Reading Rise is a tutorial in empathy, because what rises from these pages is love, often love that has endured despite appalling struggle.

“In ‘Bonded for Life,’ Robbyne Wiley’s description of how she learned her son’s point of view through reverse role-playing, seems especially wise. Often, … Read More

About Rise

NY Times Motherlode Features Story by Rise Writer

September 07, 2015 by

The New York Times’ Motherlode blog published When Finding Housing Is a Job in Itself by Rise’s Piazadora Footman:

Six years ago I went into the New York City shelter system. For 11 months I searched for apartments like crazy. I had few options. I had just come out of a psychiatric hospital. I had a 4-year-old son and was pregnant with my daughter. >>>READ MORE

Writing Groups

Seven Foster Care Agency Staff Complete Stories in Rise’s First Writing Workshop for Profesionals

September 02, 2015 by

Caseworkers and supervisors at Sheltering Arms became the first foster care agency staff to complete a Rise writing workshop, developing stories that reflected on their work with parents. Stories explore how these professionals came to learn about, connect with and improve their work with parents. Their compassionate explorations of the difficult–but often rewarding–work with parents in crisis document how sensitive casework can make a difference in family’s lives. These writers will share their stories with … Read More

About Rise

‘In Rise, there’s all these amazing parents from across the nation that have succeeded. The message is that you are not alone.’

September 01, 2015 by

Interview with Washington State Veteran Parents KIMBERLY MAYS, ALISE HEGLE, HEATHER CANTAMESSA, AMBROSIA EBERHARDT

Kimberly: All of us are parent leaders in Washington State. We’re “veteran parents”—parents who are veterans of the child welfare system. I got involved 8 years ago. CPS had taken my daughter. When I got her back, they asked me to get involved in implementing the first Parent-to-Parent program. Now I’m a social worker at the Office of Public … Read More

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