EPPiC Broadcast

Someone is going to make decisions for your child. Should it be you (the parent) or the government?  And what really is in the best interest of your child? 

This week, Jim talks with Melissa Moschella, Assistant Professor of Philosophy at the Catholic University of America, where her teaching focuses on bioethics and the moral and political status of the family. Melissa is also the author of To Whom Do Children Belong? Parental Rights, Civic Education, and Children's Autonomy. 

Melissa discusses competing philosophies of parental authority and family rights, including the works of Elizabeth Bartholet and James Dwyer. Melissa also explains why parents should be the ones who decide for their children, and how we can create stronger protections for parental authority. 

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This week, Jim talks with Martin Guggenheim, who has taught at the NYU School of Law for over 25 years, and is one of the foremost experts on family law and family rights today. Marty tells us about his lengthy career in the family law field, including how the current child welfare system came to be, and why it’s vitally important that parents receive legal representation in court.

Marty also explains how the Adoption and Safe Families Act, a cornerstone of the modern child welfare system, provides states with an incentive to permanently remove children from their birth families over the smallest parenting shortcomings, and what a better alternative would look like. 

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The Adoption and Safe Families Act imposes a 15-month deadline for families separated by the child welfare system to reunify. In the age of COVID, many families are torn apart because of governmental delays they can’t control. What can we do to stop this unjust timetable?

This week, Jim talks with Chris Gottlieb, Co-Director of New York University School of Law Family Defense Clinic and a key player in the #StoptheClock working group of the United Family Advocates coalition. Chris tells us about her work on a bipartisan bill to stop the 15-month timeline and her efforts and experiences in the field of family and parental rights.

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It’s a new year, with a new Presidential Administration and a new Congress. What changes and reforms can we expect in child welfare and parental rights law? 

This week, Michael talks with Government Affairs Liaison Maggie McKneely. Maggie gives us an update on the DC Vaccines Bill and discusses why the ASFA (Adoption and Safe Families Act) causes unnecessary harm to struggling families in the name of permanency. How can we fully preserve family bonds and give children a better foundation than mere legal permanency? 

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Child welfare and family services claim to act in the best interest of children, but far too often government agencies punish innocent parents and rip apart low-income and minority families. 

What would a child welfare system look like that supports parents and keeps families together?

This week, Michael talks with Joyce McMillan, Founder of JMAC for Families and the PLAN Coalition. Joyce is a deeply respected NYC activist for families, and she has been there herself. Joyce tells us about her work defending families in New York, how the system is failing parents and children, and what a better model of child welfare might look like. 

See more of Joyce’s work at her new website, jmacforfamilies.com.

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The need for reform in the child welfare system and parental rights legislation is great, but the challenge is daunting. How can you get involved in the fight to protect your parental rights?

This week, Michael talks with Patti Sullivan, ParentalRights.org's Florida State Coordinator and long-time advocate for families and parental rights. Patti tells us how she became involved in working to change her state's laws, plus how you can get involved in working to protect your family and your rights.

Learn more about Patti's work here.

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This week in a rare solo episode, Michael talks about our legislative efforts coming up in  2021 as we aim to keep more families together and empower parents to protect their children. Child abuse registry reform and anonymous reporting reforms are highlighted.

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This week, Michael and Shellby look back on our work in 2020. Although it's been a rough year for all of us, we've seen a number of bright spots in the work of the Parental Rights Foundation and in the discussions we've had on the EPPiC Broadcast. Join us for a recap!

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Where do parental rights come from? And why are parents the ones best suited to make decisions for their children? 

This week, Jim talks with eminent scholar, natural law expert, and Princeton law professor Robert P. George. Robert unpacks the legal and philosophical underpinning of parental rights, and deals with some arguments made by detractors of parental rights and homeschooling, including Harvard Law Professor Elizabeth Bartholet. 

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DC is poised to enact a piece of legislation which would allow children as young as 11 to consent to a vaccination that their parent had already decided is not in their best interest, without even notifying the parent. 

This week, Maggie McKneeley, Government Affairs Liaison for ParentalRights.org, breaks down the details of the legislation and what we can do to stop this bill from passing. 

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