“They Took the Children Last Night: How the Child Protection System Puts Families at Risk,” by parent attorney and policy advocate Diane Redleaf, tells the stories of families who faced allegations of abuse after they brought their children to the hospital for unexplained injuries, unusual symptoms, or after an accident.
Until 2017, Redleaf led the Family Defense Center in Chicago. Telling the stories from a lawyer’s perspective, she echoes many of the themes parents have sounded … Read More
Interview by Keyna Franklin
Photo: Julia Jean-Francois
The Center for Family Life in Sunset Park is nationally recognized for how it builds community to strengthen families. Here, Executive Director Julia Jean-Francois explains how economic stability is the first step toward achieving family wellbeing.
Q: A lot of parents feel like they just can’t cope and meet their basic needs. How does the Center for Family Life help with that?
A: We organize our service system so that we start … Read More
In Minnesota this year, parents and their allies began protesting what they say are routine violations of families’ rights as well as bias that leads to the overrepresentation of black and Native American families in the child welfare system. In Minnesota, a black child is 3 to 5 times more likely to be in foster care than a white child, and a Native American child is 17 times more likely to be in foster care, according to … Read More
Joyce McMillan is a child welfare affected parent and the coordinator of We Are Parents Too at Sinergia NY, an organization that supports and advocates for people with disabilities and their families. The former program director of the Child Welfare Organizing Project (CWOP) in NYC, McMillan explains why she believes the only way to really protect families is through community action and legislation.
Q: How did you become a parent advocate and what roles have you … Read More
