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Welcome to the EPPiC Broadcast: Empowering Parents and Protecting Children. Featuring personal stories, breaking news, and insightful commentary, we’ll encourage and inform you on the issue of family and parental rights as you guide and protect that child who is your world.

The views and opinions expressed by our podcast guests are not necessarily those of the EPPiC Broadcast or the Parental Rights Foundation. In the interest of furthering our nonpartisan mission of educating the public about parental rights, we seek to feature a broad diversity of views and opinions relating to parental rights. If you have thoughts about our podcast or a particular podcast guest, we welcome your feedback at foundation@parentalrights.org.

Recent Episodes

All Episodes

Standing up for Parents in Family Court, with Judge Ernestine Gray

By Sheila Roberts | August 24, 2021

During her time as a family court judge, foster care rates in her city dropped to just 10% of the national average. How did she do it? This week, Michael talks with former judge Ernestine Gray, who served for 35 years in the Orleans Parish Juvenile Court in Louisiana. Judge Gray explains how she prioritized…

Keeping Politics Out of the Classroom, with Michael Farris

By Sheila Roberts | July 27, 2021

Parental rights and religious liberties are being increasingly threatened by radicalized school curricula. What can we do about it? This week, ParentalRights.org founder and Alliance Defending Freedom CEO Michael Farris returns to the EPPiC Broadcast. Michael explains why these new curricula are harmful to children and even unconstitutional, and what Alliance Defending Freedom is doing…

Pursuing Respect and Justice, with David Kelly

By Sheila Roberts | July 20, 2021

How can we build a child welfare system that treats families with respect and justice?  This week we talk with David Kelly, former Special Assistant at the Children’s Bureau in the US Department of Health and Human Services. David tells us about his work, and explains why our child welfare system needs a complete overhaul…

Homeschooling Growth During COVID

By Sheila Roberts | July 6, 2021

How has the pandemic affected education, including parental rights and homeschooling issues?  This week we talk with Dr. Steven Duvall, Director of Research at the Home School Legal Defense Association, and former public-school psychologist and university professor. Dr. Duvall unpacks some shifting trends in the education world, including some recent data on the increase in…

Freedom to Grow, with Lenore Skenazy

By Sheila Roberts | June 29, 2021

What is “Reasonable Childhood Independence,” and why is it so important?  This week we talk again with Lenore Skenazy, author of Free-Range Kids, and founder of the Let Grow movement. Lenore explains why it’s important for children to grow up with a healthy amount of freedom and responsibility. Plus, hear about some recent legislative wins…

Reforming CAPTA, with Andrew Brown

By Sheila Roberts | June 22, 2021

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…

The Case Against Universal Preschool, with Peter Gray

By Sheila Roberts | June 15, 2021

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…

What is a Guardian Ad Litem? With Joanna Woolman

By Sheila Roberts | June 8, 2021

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…

Before You Call CPS, with Vivek Sankaren

By Sheila Roberts | June 1, 2021

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…

The Problem with Anonymous Reporting, with Dale Cecka

By Sheila Roberts | March 16, 2021

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…

Reforming the Child Welfare System, with Jerry Milner

By Sheila Roberts | March 9, 2021

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…

Parental Rights and the Constitution, with William Wagner

By Sheila Roberts | March 2, 2021

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,…