EPPiC Broadcast

As we celebrate legislative victories in Texas, Congress is set to re-authorize the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA). How should this important legislation be reformed to better help parents and children? 

This week, we talk with Andrew Brown, a distinguished senior fellow of child and family policy at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Andrew has advocated for parents and families as an attorney, and he’s an expert on issues surrounding child and family policy.  Andrew tells us about the CAPTA reforms he’s championing and discusses those recent victories in his home state of Texas.

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The Biden administration has recently proposed universal preschool for American families, but some experts are skeptical. What’s the case to be made against universal preschool? 

This week, Jim talks with psychologist and Boston College research professor of psychology Dr. Peter Gray, author of the recent Psychology Today article, The Case Against Universal Preschool. Peter explains how, over time, early child education has come to emphasize test scores and academics, rather than the play and organic learning that young children need to learn and grow. Hear about what young children need instead to truly thrive in preschool and kindergarten, and the choices that you as a parent have in your child’s education.

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Guardians ad litem have great power over your family in a CPS case. But who are they? 

This week, we’re talking with Joanna Woolman about guardians ad litem [GAL’s], the people responsible for representing your child’s interests in court. Joanna is an associate professor of law at the Mitchell Hamline School of Law and the executive director of the Institute to Transform Child Protection. 

GAL’s can be a big help to your family by representing what is best for your child, but a lot of them are simply unfamiliar with the parent’s side of the issue. Joanna explains the details of how a GAL functions in a CPS case, and what you need to know to protect your family. 

If you are a guardian ad litem, you want to use this power for good. Listen to this episode to broaden your perspective and better understand what that means for each unique situation you face.

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When faced with a struggling family, bystanders can be quick to call CPS, not realizing that child protective agencies often aren't equipped to help families and rush to punish them instead. 

Vivek Sankaren is working to reform this broken system and provide families with helpful, high-quality legal care in the midst of CPS cases. Vivek is a clinical professor of law at the University of Michigan Law School, where he heads a program to educate future lawyers.

 In this week’s episode, Jim and Vivek talk about the work Vivek is doing to help create a more supportive and humane child welfare system - a system that actually helps families instead of harming them. 

Thank you for listening! In our next episode, we will discuss the role and function of guardians ad litem with Professor Joanna Woolman.

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Thank you so much for listening to the EPPiC Broadcast! This week, Michael shares a brief special announcement to mark the end of Season Two and reveal exciting plans for Season Three. Plus, hear how you can help educate friends and family on parental rights issues. We’re returning on June 1st—see you then! 

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This week, Michael talks with Enrique Gutierrez, founder of FindMyParent, a powerful new tool to help separated parents and children connect with each other. Enrique tells us how the tool works and explains why he decided to create this resource. You can learn more about his work and see how the tool works at  FindMyParent.org.

Anonymous calls to report child abuse are designed to protect children, but far too often anonymous reporting is maliciously abused to harm families. What if we replaced anonymous calls with confidential reporting? 

This week, Jim talks with Dale Cecka, author of “Abolish Anonymous Reporting to Child Abuse Hotlines”  and “How Child Abuse Hotlines Hurt the Very Children They’re Trying to Protect”, and former Professor of Law at the University of Richmond School of Law. Dale lays out her research on the harms caused by anonymous reporting, from deliberately false reports of child abuse to well-intentioned but misinformed calls from bystanders. We can do better for children and families by confidentially recording the identity of those who report child abuse.

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Far too often, the child welfare system sends children straight to foster care, destroying innocent families and harming the very children it tries to protect. How can we prioritize preserving families and giving parents the support they need instead?

This week, Jim talks with Jerry Milner, former Associate Commissioner of the Children’s Bureau in the US Department of Health and Human Services. Jerry shares his experience over the last four years in the Children’s Bureau, and in his long career in the field of child welfare, including the problems that plague the system and reforms he has championed for parents and children. 

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This week, Michael talks with William Wagner, distinguished Professor Emeritus of Law at the Western Michigan University Cooley Law School, and president of Salt and Light Global. William has served as a Federal Judge in the U.S. Courts, as Legal Counsel in the U.S Senate, as Senior Assistant United States Attorney in the Department of Justice, and as a former member of the ParentalRights.org Board.

William tells us how parental rights are protected by the Constitution, and why parents’ rights to direct the upbringing and especially education of their children is so important. Learn about the work that Salt and Light Global is doing to protect educational and religious liberties in the public sphere, and how unique problems caused by the pandemic are affecting parental rights issues. 

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Imagine if your 11-year-old child could receive medical procedures without your knowledge or approval. What exactly is DC Bill 23-171, the Minor Consent to Vaccination Act, and why are we so concerned with stopping this legislation? 

Rolf Hazlehurst is a senior attorney with Children's Health Defense and has been actively engaged in the practice of law since 1995. This week, Rolf gives us a history of vaccine law policy and explains why DC Bill 23-171 puts children at serious risk. Learn more about the details of this dangerous legislation, and what you can do to stop it from becoming law. 

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