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In this episode, James Uthmeier, Attorney General of Florida, joins us to discuss the creation of the state’s first-in-the-nation Office of Parental Rights within the Attorney General’s Office. Established earlier this year in response to a growing number of parental complaints, the office works to ensure Florida’s parental rights laws are upheld and that parents have a place to turn when those rights are violated. Attorney General Uthmeier outlines how the office operates, why enforcing existing parental rights protections is so essential, and why he hopes other states will follow Florida’s lead in creating similar offices 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 parentalrightsfoundation.org/getinvolved. Support the show

In this episode, Darren Jones, Senior Counsel and Director of Group Services at the Homeschool Legal Defense Association, joins us to explore the growing world of homeschooling, co-ops, and micro schools. Darren explains why parents are fully capable of educating their children, pointing to decades of strong academic outcomes and the wide range of resources available to families today. He also breaks down what co-ops and micro schools are, how they differ from private schools, and how parent involvement varies across these models.  Darren offers practical guidance for families looking to join or start a homeschool co-op or micro school, discusses how state laws can impact these options, and shares insights from nearly 30 years of helping homeschool families navigate challenges such as diploma recognition and group formation.  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 parentalrightsfoundation.org/getinvolved. Resources Mentioned in This Episode: HSLDA’s list of homeschool co-ops and groups: https://my.hslda.org/groups/s/ Support the show

In this episode, Aubrey Edwards-Luce, Executive Director at the Center for Families, Children, and the Courts at the University of Baltimore School of Law, joins us to discuss the growing issue of hidden foster care. Hidden foster care is a way to keep children with family instead of entering the foster system, but with no oversight or due process, it doesn't always give parents, children, or caregivers the tools their family needs. Aubrey shares how these arrangements can harm everyone involved and outlines four key policy changes from her upcoming paper, The Hidden Foster Care Policy Agenda, that would bring oversight, accountability, and fairness to this shadow system. The EPPiC broadcast is hosted by Michael Ramey, president of the Parental Rights Foundation. You can sign up for email alerts to keep yourself informed on parental rights news at https://parentalrightsfoundation.org/get-involved/. Resources Mentioned: Annie E. Casey Foundation New Insights on State Kinship Diversion Policies  Support the show

In this episode, Attorney Aaron Rapier from the Rapier Law Firm joins us to discuss the troubling Krueger v. Petrak case in Illinois. In this case, investigators found the abuse allegations to be unfounded and the case was officially closed. However, only weeks later, the children were still removed from the home and separated from their parents for over a year. We explore what this case reveals about the growing tension between medical professionals and parental authority and why protecting a parent's right to be fully informed and involved in their child's medical care is essential to preventing future injustices. The EPPiC broadcast is hosted by Michael Ramey, president of the Parental Rights Foundation. You can sign up for email alerts to keep yourself informed on parental rights news at https://parentalrightsfoundation.org/get-involved/.  Support the show

Welcome back to the EPPiC Broadcast! In this episode, Matt Sharp, Senior Counsel and Director of the Center for Public Policy at Alliance Defending Freedom, discusses the renewed push for the Family Rights and Responsibilities Act. Matt explains how this legislation would strengthen parental rights at the federal level by applying the strict scrutiny standard to any government action that interferes with those rights, giving parents the same high level of legal protection afforded to other fundamental freedoms. Matt also shares how this bill complements the proposed Parental Rights Amendment, why bipartisan support is essential, and what listeners can do to help move this legislation forward.  If you'd like to support this effort, contact your senator or representatives today and urge them to cosponsor the Family Rights and Responsibilities Act, Senate Bill 204 led by Senator Tim Scott, and House Resolution 650 led by Representative Virginia Foxx.  The EPPiC broadcast is hosted by Michael Ramey, president of the Parental Rights Foundation. You can sign up for email alerts to keep yourself informed on parental rights news at https://parentalrightsfoundation.org/get-involved/. Support the show

Welcome back to the EPPiC Broadcast! We're re-featuring one of our well-received episodes featuring Grover Norquist, the founder and president of Americans for Tax Reform, a political advocacy group fighting for lower taxes. Today, he talks about limiting the government’s role in telling citizens how to live their lives - which naturally impacts its power over parents and families. The EPPiC Broadcast is hosted by Michael Ramey, president of the Parental Rights Foundation. You can sign up for email alerts to keep yourself informed on parental rights news at https://parentalrightsfoundation.org/get-involved/. Support the show

Welcome back to the EPPiC Broadcast! This week, we're rewinding to our episode featuring Brittany Patterson, a Georgia mother who made headlines when she was arrested after her 10-year-old walked to the store solo. David DeLugas, executive director of ParentsUSA and Brittany’s attorney, joined us as well.  Brittany tells her story and gives us a closer look at what happened on the day she was arrested. She and David both discuss the injustice of the event and what it signifies for parental rights and childhood independence for any family.  This episode has a happy ending! Not long after this, Georgia passed a Reasonable Childhood Independence law, making it clear that letting kids walk to school, play outside, or stay home for a short time is not neglect. The EPPiC Broadcast is hosted by Michael Ramey, president of the Parental Rights Foundation. You can sign up for email alerts to keep yourself informed on parental rights news at https://parentalrightsfoundation.org/get-involved/. Support the show

During the times of American legalized slavery, the relationship between Black parents and their children was fraught with fear, and entirely controlled by the heavy hand of their owners. In her book Neglected Stories: The Constitution and Family Values, Prof. Peggy Cooper Davis draws the connection between this past reality, and the present reality of Black families finding themselves under the control of the child welfare state, subject to the whims of oft-biased court systems and social workers.  Welcome back to the EPPiC Broadcast! Today, Prof. Peggy Cooper Davis, Esq., Professor of Lawyering and Ethics Emeritus at NYU, is here with us to discuss her book’s analysis of the analogous relationship between the historical slavery system and the current child welfare system - and the horrible impact both have had on Black parents and children. The EPPiC Broadcast is hosted by Michael Ramey, president of the Parental Rights Foundation. You can sign up for email alerts to keep yourself informed on parental rights news at https://parentalrightsfoundation.org/get-involved/. Support the show

AB 495 is a troubling bill in California that’s just passed the legislature and is heading to the governor’s desk for his signature or veto. The bill would allow for any adult to make custody-like educational or medical decisions for any minor child, simply by signing an affidavit claiming they are “related to the child by blood, adoption, or affinity within the 5th degree of kinship.” No proof would be required for this process to take place.  Welcome back to the EPPiC Broadcast! Today, Greg Burt, Vice President of the California Family Council, is here with us to discuss this bill, its ramifications, and potential consequences.  The EPPiC Broadcast is hosted by Michael Ramey, president of the Parental Rights Foundation. You can sign up for email alerts to keep yourself informed on parental rights news at https://parentalrightsfoundation.org/get-involved/. Support the show

Welcome back to the EPPiC Broadcast! Today, our guest is Marci Comeau, the managing attorney at the Washington State Office of Public Defense in the Parents Representation Program. She talks with Michael about the hotline she manages, the WA Voluntary Placement Agreement Legal Consultation Hotline. This is a number that parents can call if they are facing a CPS investigation where they are offered the option of a voluntary placement for their children. Parents often don’t know what the right decision is in these circumstances, and Marci and her team are here to help.  The hotline’s toll-free number (State of Washington only) is 833-240-9746. It is open and staffed by an attorney 24/7 and also provides translation services.  The EPPiC Broadcast is hosted by Michael Ramey, president of the Parental Rights Foundation. You can sign up for email alerts to keep yourself informed on parental rights news at https://parentalrightsfoundation.org/get-involved/. Support the show

A family who had CPS called on them four separate times for letting their children play outside in front of their house. A mother who was arrested after her ten-year-old walked into town and back alone. How do we keep this from happening? Welcome back to the EPPiC Broadcast - today, our guest is Lenore Skenazy, president of Let Grow. She’s here to discuss the negative consequences of society not allowing responsible children to spend time independently in their neighborhoods - and how to affect change. You can also find Lenore’s recent TED Talk here! https://youtu.be/whaesnYloMQ?si=Vc8EZPxpmh9mi5Y9  The EPPiC Broadcast is hosted by Michael Ramey, president of the Parental Rights Foundation. You can sign up for email alerts to keep yourself informed on parental rights news at https://parentalrightsfoundation.org/get-involved/. Support the show

Welcome back to the EPPiC Broadcast! We’re kicking off season 11 with returning guest William Wagner, Esq. William is the Vice President of the Parental Rights Foundation, and a constitutional legal scholar. Today, he discusses the recent monumental Supreme Court decision on Mahmoud v. Taylor from this past summer, and what it means for parents' right to direct the education and upbringing of their children. The EPPiC Broadcast is hosted by Michael Ramey, president of the Parental Rights Foundation. You can sign up for email alerts to keep yourself informed on parental rights news at https://parentalrightsfoundation.org/get-involved/. Support the show

On June 1, 1925, the Supreme Court declared, “The child is not the mere creature of the State; those who nurture him and direct his destiny have the right, coupled with the high duty, to recognize and prepare him for additional obligations.” Pierce firmly established the liberty of parents to direct the lives of their minor children without interference by the government. You’ve listened to our Left Panel’s discussion of Pierce – now, it’s the Right Panel’s turn! Today, we speak with Michael Farris, founding president of ParentalRights.org and former CEO and president of Alliance Defending Freedom; Melissa Moschella, professor of practice and philosophy at Notre Dame University’s McGrath Center for Church Life; and Emilie Kao, Vice President of Alliance Defending Freedom. The EPPiC Broadcast is hosted by Michael Ramey, president of the Parental Rights Foundation. You can sign up for email alerts to keep yourself informed on parental rights news at https://parentalrightsfoundation.org/get-involved/. Support the show

The Supreme Court released its landmark parental rights decision in Pierce v. Society of Sisters on June 1, 1925—exactly 100 years ago next month. To celebrate this milestone, we’ve gathered two special panels on the EPPiC Broadcast, comprised of parental rights champions from either side of the political aisle to protect our children.  Today, we speak with the Left Panel: Martin Guggenheim, founder and co-director of New York University School of Law’s Family Defense Clinic; Angela Burton, founder and co-chair of the New York City Narrowing the Front Door workgroup; and Josh Gupta-Kagan, a clinical professor of law and director of the Family Defense Clinic at Columbia University’s School of Law. The book referenced in our episode is Neglected Stories: The Constitution and Family Values by Peggy Cooper Davis. Find more information here: us.macmillan.com/books/9780809016075/neglectedstories/ The EPPiC Broadcast is hosted by Michael Ramey, president of the Parental Rights Foundation. You can sign up for email alerts to keep yourself informed on parental rights news at https://parentalrightsfoundation.org/get-involved/. Support the show

Our topic for today is hidden foster care: a process wherein children are sent to live with relatives or friends in order to prevent foster care with strangers. Considered a “voluntary” placement, in reality it often involves coercion or threats. In one such instance, Su’Leya Williams was a baby girl taken from her mother’s care and placed with a woman who claimed to be a relative, but wasn’t. Baby Su’Leya died in her care.  Today, we welcome Sarah Katz, a Professor of Law at the Temple University Beasley School of Law and Director of Temple Law’s Family Justice Clinic, and April Lee, the Founder of Philly Voice for Change. Sarah and April discuss the requirements DHS is legally bound to in this process, how they are often skirted or ignored completely, and the resulting impact on parents and children. The EPPiC Broadcast is hosted by Michael Ramey, president of the Parental Rights Foundation. You can sign up for email alerts to keep yourself informed on parental rights news at https://parentalrightsfoundation.org/get-involved/. Support the show