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.

Advocacy

Rise Parent Leaders Present Parents’ Perspectives to NYC Child Welfare Commissioner

June 22, 2015 by

Dominique Arrington, Jeanette Vega, Lakisha Johnson, Teresa Bachiller, Robbyne Wiley and Commissioner Gladys Carrión (clockwise from upper left)

Rise’s Parent Leadership Team met with ACS Commissioner Gladys Carrión June 22 to present results of conversations with 40 parents about their experiences and priorities for change.

Read their recommendations here. 

Discussion focused on parents’ need for information about the foster care process, access to parent advocates and peer support, transparency around the process of addressing concerns about children’s … Read More

Staff Training

CWLA Webinar on Parent Trauma in Child Welfare Includes Rise Stories and Presenter

May 14, 2015 by

Parent stories illuminate the impact trauma can have on parents in child welfare in a CWLA webinar, Parent Trauma and What Child Welfare Workers Need to Know. Co-presented by Rise Director Nora McCarthy, NYU Child Study Center’s Erika Tullberg and Connie Black-Pond of the Southwest Michigan Children’s Trauma Assessment Center, the webinar describes trauma symptoms and how caseworkers may notice trauma-based responses in parents in child welfare settings. The separation, loss of control, shame and power … Read More

Parent Presentations

City Attorneys Who Bring Cases Against Parents Hear Parents’ Perspectives on Family Court

May 12, 2015 by

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More than 300 attFamily Court Legal Services Attorneys at NYC’s Administration for Children’s Services have learned about parents’ experiences in Family Court through presentations by Rise Parent Leaders Jeanette Vega and Piazadora Footman.

Jeanette’s piece focuses on her experiences as a young mother whose son was removed when he was 2 years old, as well as lessons learned from her three years as a parent advocate at a foster care agency. Read her speech: ‘Keep a … Read More

Partners

Sheltering Arms Hosts Rise Writing Workshops for Frontline Staff

April 15, 2015 by

Sheltering Arms partnered with Rise in 2015-16 to run two writing workshops for foster care agency staff. Stories focused on the steps staff have taken to work effectively and establish positive relationships with parents. After the first writing group in spring 2015, staff shared their stories with Sheltering Arms senior leadership, and two participants read their stories at a Sheltering Arms board meeting. Rise published the first installment in Spring 2016, along with parent-written articles about working … Read More

About Rise

Rise Young Moms Meet with NY Times Editorial Board Member

April 01, 2015 by

A powerful group of Rise’s young mothers visiting The New York Times April 1, 2015 to talk with Editorial Board Member Lawrence Downes about how their stories can educate a wider audience. Lots of ideas! Rise’s two editorials on improving supports for young mothers who grew up in foster care focus on reducing unnecessary neglect reports by building peer supports and safe places for young mothers to turn for help outside of the foster care system.

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