Family Defenders (with Joyce McMillan and Shanta Trivedi)

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: 

Joyce McMillan is a thought leader, advocate, activist, community organizer, educator, and the Founder and Executive Director of JMACforFamilies (Just Making a Change). Joyce’s ultimate goal is to abolish systems of harm – especially the family policing/regulation/destruction system while creating concrete community resources. 

Shanta Trivedi is an assistant professor of law and faculty director of the Sayra and Neil Meyerhoff Center for families, Children and the Courts at the University of Baltimore School of Law. Prior to joining academia, Trivedi was a staff attorney at Brooklyn Defender Services’ Family Defense Practice, representing parents embroiled in the family policing system. Trivedi is a widely published legal scholar and policy advocate in popular media, with a focus on promoting approaches to reduce family separation by the family policing and other legal systems.

Episode Notes:

• Episode Transcript: upendmovement.org/episode1-5
• Support the work of upEND: upendmovement.org/donate 
• Continue learning with additional resources in our syllabus: upendmovement.org/syllabus
• Read “The Harm of Removal” by Shanta Trivedi.
• Connect with Joyce McMillan and support JMAC for Families. 
• Follow Shanta Trivedi’s work at the University of Baltimore.