In this episode, Joyce McMillan, founder and executive director of Just Making a Change for Families and a member of the Parental Rights Foundation Board of Advisors, joins us to discuss her recent article “Common Sense Guardrails for CPS,” featured in The State of Parental Rights in America. Drawing from her work with families impacted by the child welfare system, Joyce argues that Child Protective Services often functions less like a helping profession and more like an investigative and prosecutorial agency. She explains how poverty is frequently confused with neglect and how families can become trapped in cycles of surveillance and punishment. 

Joyce also discusses the Parent Legislative Action Network (PLAN) and several reform efforts advancing in New York and beyond, including the Anti-Harassment in Reporting Act and proposals aimed at strengthening due process protections for parents. The conversation explores issues surrounding CPS registries, emergency removals, visitation barriers, and the importance of educating families about their constitutional rights. Throughout the episode, Joyce encourages listeners to learn directly from families with lived experience in the system and to recognize how these policies affect communities across the country.

The EPPiC Broadcast is hosted by Michael Ramey, President of the Parental Rights Foundation. Stay informed on parental rights news by signing up for email alerts at https://parentalrightsfoundation.org/get-involved/. 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

JMAC for Families: jmacforfamilies.org

ProPublica article: “New York Bans Anonymous Child Welfare Reports” 

The State of Parental Rights in America

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