The upEND Podcast

The upEND team recaps season one and shares their visions for a future without family policing. We break down recurring myths about “child welfare,” discuss the abolitionist communities growing from spaces such as book clubs, and reflect on topics like the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA). About Our Guests: Maya Pendleton has been a part of the upEND movement si

After looking closely at how the family policing system operates, we zoom out to discuss how family policing is an extension of other carceral systems and how abolition is the solution. We just need to stretch our imagination. About Our Guest: Maya Schenwar is the director of the Truthout Center for Grassroots Journalism, and the board president of Truthout. She is the co-author

Why keep advocating for solutions that don’t work? In this episode, we'll discuss reforms in the family policing system and how these reforms don't actually help to end the harms perpetuated against Black children, families, and communities. We'll also be discussing the differences between reformist reforms and abolitionist steps. About Our Guests: Dylan Rodríguez

The trauma of family separations and foster care are well documented, so why is this harm ignored? In episode 5, we discuss the harms of family separation and the outcomes of family policing involvement for children and parents. Joyce also shares more about her advocacy for Family Miranda Rights and her personal experiences as a mother impacted by the system. About Our Guests

“Families I work with tell me it’s like being on pins and needles every day of their life. It really impacts their mental health, their physical well-being, as well as their housing and job prospects. These families can’t mess up at all. It’s not a way to live.” In previous episodes of the podcast, we've covered the history of family separation and family policing fr

How did the family policing system become what it is today? We’ll take a look at some of the key policies and ideas from the early 1900s through 1970s that are still in place today including the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) and other white supremacist ideas that emerged at the time. About Our Guests: Angela Olivia Burton was recently Special Counsel for Int

It is commonly believed that the first child welfare system was created in 1874 in response to the abuse of a girl named Mary Ellen Wilson, but there’s actually more to that story. In the second episode of Season 1, we investigate the early history of the child welfare system from the time of emancipation during the mid-19th century through the early 20th century. About our G

Family separation was a key issue used to advance the movement to end slavery in the United States, and the family policing system builds upon slavery’s foundation, attacking the humanity of families seen as undesirable. In the first episode of Season 1, we explore the notion of abolition then and now, and the idea of abolition as a project of not just removal, but also creation

So, what is family policing abolition? Cohosts Josie Pickens and Jaison Oliver introduce The upEND Podcast and give an overview of what listeners can expect in the first season of the upEND podcast which will release monthly episodes starting in September 2023. Episode guest Alan Dettlaff is a professor at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work, where he also