EPPiC Broadcast

Latest Episodes:

Keeping Families Together Through Early Legal Support, with Sharon Balmer Cartagena Mar 31, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, Sharon Balmer Cartagena, Directing Attorney of Public Counsel’s Child, Youth & Family Advocacy Project in California, joins us to discuss innovative efforts to support families earlier in the child welfare process. Drawing on her work with the Keeping Families Together Project in Los Angeles County, she explains how expanding access to support and legal counsel can help bridge communication gaps, connect families to resources, and prevent unnecessary system involvement.

Sharon shares early results from the program and what they suggest about the impact of timely support. She also explores broader challenges within the child welfare system, including mandated reporting laws, definitions of neglect, and the high rate of unsubstantiated investigations. Sharon discusses ongoing reform efforts and the importance of keeping families connected whenever safely possible, as well as why increasing access to support services could benefit not only families, but agencies as well.

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 https://parentalrightsfoundation.org/get-involved/

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Homeschooling Policy and Parental Rights, with Will Estrada Mar 24, 2026

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In this episode, Will Estrada, Esq., Senior Counsel at the Home School Legal Defense Association, joins us to discuss recent legislative efforts impacting homeschool families across the country. Focusing on two contrasting bills in New England, Estrada explains how Connecticut’s HB5468 would significantly increase regulations on homeschool families, while New Hampshire’s HB1268 would move in the opposite direction by reducing requirements. He also explores the broader philosophical question underlying these debates: where parental rights come from, and whether they should be subject to government control.

Estrada discusses the implications of increasing homeschool regulations, including the strain on public school systems and child protective services. Drawing on national data and research, he addresses common concerns about child safety, noting that studies show no increased risk of abuse or neglect based on education type. He argues that policy efforts would be better focused on reforming child protective services rather than expanding oversight of homeschool families, and emphasizes the importance of parental involvement in a child’s education.

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

HSLDA State Homeschool Laws Map
Bringing Achievement Home by Lindsey Burke
Homeschooling and Child Safety: Are Kids Safer at Home? by Angela Dills
Demographics are Predictive of Child Abuse and Neglect but Homeschool Versus Conventional School is a Non-issue by Brian Ray & Danish Shakeel
The Changing Face of American Homeschool: A 25-Year Comparison of Race and Ethnicity by Alanna Bjorklund-Young & Angela Watson
In Defense of Homeschool Families by Amy Buchmeyer, Esq.

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Parental Rights and the Mirabelli Decision, with Vernadette R. Broyles Mar 17, 2026

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In this episode, Vernadette R. Broyles, Esq., President and Chief Counsel of the Child and Parental Rights Campaign, joins us to discuss the recent Mirabelli decision and its implications for parental rights. Broyles explains the background of the case and why many advocates view the ruling as a significant development in the ongoing legal debate over whether schools can withhold information from parents about their children. She also discusses her organization’s involvement in the case, including the filing of an amicus brief supporting the parents.

Broyles breaks down what the decision signals from the Supreme Court about the constitutional protection of parental rights and how it may influence other cases currently awaiting review, including Foote and Littlejohn. She explains the legal questions at stake, the challenges parents face in lower courts, and why some legal standards applied in these cases could make it extremely difficult for families to defend their rights. Looking ahead, Broyles shares why she is optimistic about the direction of future rulings and discusses what these cases could mean for parents, schools, and the broader constitutional landscape surrounding parental authority.

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Rethinking Foster Care and Child Safety, with Kelley Fong and Frank Edwards Mar 10, 2026

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In this episode, Kelley Fong, Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of California, Irvine and author of the award-winning book Investigating Families: Motherhood in the Shadow of Child Protective Services, and Frank Edwards, Associate Professor at the Rutgers University School of Criminal Justice, join us to discuss their new study examining the relationship between foster care entry rates and child maltreatment mortality rates. Drawing on 16 years of federal and state data from AFCARS and NCANDS, they explore a deeply consequential question: does increasing foster care entry actually reduce child maltreatment fatalities?

Their findings challenge some widely held assumptions about how foster care functions as a tool for child safety. Kelley and Frank unpack what the data does and does not show. They also explore what this means for child welfare policy, why CPS systems are largely reactive rather than preventative, and how foster care has increasingly functioned as a catch-all intervention for family instability. They discuss the urgent need for more research in this largely unstudied space and whether safer, less invasive approaches could better protect children while preserving families. Their study is open access and available to read in full here.

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Florida’s Office of Parental Rights, with Attorney General James Uthmeier Nov 25, 2025

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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.

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Homeschool Co-ops and Micro Schools, with Darren Jones Nov 18, 2025

Show notes

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.

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

HSLDA’s list of homeschool co-ops and groups: https://my.hslda.org/groups/s/

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Uncovering Hidden Foster Care, with Aubrey Edwards-Luce Nov 11, 2025

Show notes

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

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The Krueger v. Petrak Case and Parental Rights, with Aaron Rapier Nov 04, 2025

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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.

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The Family Rights and Responsibilities Act, with Matt Sharp Oct 28, 2025

Show notes

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.

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Rewind: Minimizing the Government’s Role in Families’ Lives, with Grover Norquist Oct 21, 2025

Show notes

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/.

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