• About
  • Contact
  • Subscribe for Free
  • Download App
  • Anti-Racism Summit
  • Terms of Service
SWHELPER
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • Register
  • Home
  • News
  • Culture
  • Mental Health
  • Politics
  • Tech
  • LGBTQ
  • Disability
Find/Post Jobs
  • Home
  • News
  • Culture
  • Mental Health
  • Politics
  • Tech
  • LGBTQ
  • Disability
No Result
View All Result
SWHELPER
No Result
View All Result
Home Human Services Child Welfare

The Minnesota African American Family Preservation Act: One Small Step in the Right Direction Towards A More Just Child Welfare System

Latagia Copeland-Tyronce, MSWbyLatagia Copeland-Tyronce, MSW
June 10, 2019
in Child Welfare, News, Youth
0
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Linkedin

While most of the mainstream media has failed to report on this momentous piece of legislation created to address the inequities of systemic racism impacting child welfare reform and parental rights, Rep. Rena Moran, DFL-St. Paul, and Sen. Jeff Hayden, DFL-Minneapolis quietly introduced the Minnesota African American Family Preservation Act (HF 3973).

The bill was first introduced earlier this year with the explicit purpose of stopping the arbitrary removal of black children by the Minnesota Child Protection Division. The goal of the legislation is to address key racial biases and disparities while also seeking to extend better standards of care across the State’s child welfare system.

According to the Minnesota House of Representatives’ website, “a group of state lawmakers say those disparities are caused by widespread inequity across Minnesota’s child-protection system that includes how initial allegations are reviewed, how parents are screened and assessed and how incidents are resolved”.

The Minnesota African-American Family Preservation Act has the support of the Council for Minnesotans of African Heritage, numerous leaders within the black community as well as African-American families directly impacted by the State’s arbitrary removal assessments. While there is no doubt there will be challenges for implementation or will right past injustices, this piece of legislation is one small step in the right direction. Minnesota has taken the first legislative step towards using policy to address structural racism within the child welfare system. Maybe, their courageous actions will inspire other lawmakers to follow and do the same in their states.

As a social justice and parental rights advocate, this story is a personal one and a triumph to see on many levels specifically because I was unjustly and unnecessarily removed from my mother in Saint Pauls when I was six years old. The removal was both retaliatory and racially (politically) motivated due to the fact my mother was a fearless and outspoken black woman trying desperately to address the blatant discrimination and racism blacks were experiencing in our neighborhood.

While in foster care, I experienced mental, physical, and emotional abuse, and very nearly died due to improper adult supervision or the lack therefore in my case. Although my mother did eventually get me and my younger sister back after two long and hard years of fighting in the Courts, she was never the same mentally or emotionally.

As a social work professional, I know now, my mother was very likely suffering from severe and untreated PTSD which is a very common diagnosis as a result of family disruption from a child removal. It wasn’t until many years later when I found myself in the very same position (having had to experience the same CPS induced hell), that I truly realized what my mother had to endure.

My experiences inspired my desire to become an advocate and prevent the above from needlessly happening to another family. Structural racism and discrimination are rampant and widespread within our nation, and our child welfare system is not exempt. Racism and discrimination within the child welfare system have directly lead to what some scholars and advocates have termed, the “cultural genocide” of the black family.

A Call to Action…

This bill is extremely important and needs all the help it can get in order to become law. Therefore, I’m calling upon advocates, families, and child welfare professionals everywhere to call and write the appropriate committees and/or legislators and tell them to support the Minnesota African-American Family Preservation Act.

If you’re ready to make a positive difference and combat the cultural genocide of African-American families all across the country, please call or write your representatives and request the African-American Family Preservation Act be introduced in your state.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...
Previous Post

The Difference Between Micro, Macro and Mezzo Social Work

Next Post

How To Win America’s Fight Against The Opioid Epidemic

Latagia Copeland-Tyronce, MSW

Latagia Copeland-Tyronce, MSW

Latagia Copeland-Tyronce, MSW, CADAS, is a parental rights advocate, social justice activist, writer/blogger, journalist, and graduate student whose work has been featured in BlackMattersUs and Rise Magazine. She is the founder, executive director and president of the National African American Families First and Preservation Association (NAFPA) a groundbreaking 501c4 organization, the first of its kind, dedicated to protecting the Black family. Follow Latagia on Medium, Instagram, Twitter, Quora, and Facebook.

Related Posts

How Does Sex Therapy Rescue Your Love Life? – 6 Incredible Ways
Health

How Does Sex Therapy Rescue Your Love Life? – 6 Incredible Ways

June 30, 2022
Hate Sites Using the Wider Abortion Argument to Spread Racism and Extremism
Health

Hate Sites Using the Wider Abortion Argument to Spread Racism and Extremism

June 29, 2022
The Positive Impact Social Work Can Have on Public Education
Education

The Positive Impact Social Work Can Have on Public Education

June 24, 2022
Insult to Injury: U.S. Workers Without Paid Sick Leave Suffer from Mental Distress
Education

How Social Workers Can Practice Trauma-Informed Care

June 18, 2022
In A New World, Social Work Leads the Way
Criminal Justice

In A New World, Social Work Leads the Way

June 14, 2022
Technology and Entrepreneurship in Social Work
News

Technology and Entrepreneurship in Social Work

April 6, 2022
Next Post
How To Win America’s Fight Against The Opioid Epidemic

How To Win America's Fight Against The Opioid Epidemic

Abortion Laws, Feminism, Politics, and Neoliberal Societies in Developed Nations

Abortion Laws, Feminism, Politics, and Neoliberal Societies in Developed Nations

What Can Be Done To Solve The Foster Care Crisis?

Ending the Therapeutic Relationship: Creative Termination Activities

June 24, 2022
What Feelings Are In Your Heart: An Art Therapy Exercise for Kids

What Feelings Are In Your Heart: An Art Therapy Exercise for Kids

June 19, 2022
Want to Work With Children: 5 Skills and Qualities You Should Be Working On

Want to Work With Children: 5 Skills and Qualities You Should Be Working On

April 7, 2019
What Is a Genogram and Why Do I Need to Learn How to Create One?

What Is a Genogram and Why Do I Need to Learn How to Create One?

April 7, 2019
ADVERTISEMENT

Good Things Happen When
You Subscribe

Subscribe
  • What Can Be Done To Solve The Foster Care Crisis?

    Ending the Therapeutic Relationship: Creative Termination Activities

    77 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • What Feelings Are In Your Heart: An Art Therapy Exercise for Kids

    396 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Want to Work With Children: 5 Skills and Qualities You Should Be Working On

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • What Is a Genogram and Why Do I Need to Learn How to Create One?

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • The Importance of Mental Health Awareness

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
ADVERTISEMENT
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Instagram TikTok
SWHELPER

  • About
  • Contact
  • Subscribe for Free
  • Download App
  • Anti-Racism Summit
  • Terms of Service

© 2022 Social Work Helper, PBC

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
    • News
    • Culture
    • Technology
    • Politics
    • Criminal Justice
    • Social Work
    • Education
    • LGBTQ
    • Poverty
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
  • Virtual Summit
  • Career Center
  • Download App
  • Login
  • Sign Up
  • Cart

© 2022 Social Work Helper, PBC

Welcome Back!

Sign In with Facebook
Sign In with Google
Sign In with Linked In
OR

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Sign Up with Facebook
Sign Up with Google
Sign Up with Linked In
OR

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Good Things Happen When
You Subscribe

Subscribe
Go to mobile version
 

    %d bloggers like this: