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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 03/09/2026

A quick vocabulary lesson! Reproductive justice is where everyone can make decisions about their pregnancies and families have all of the support they need. The family policing system works against this vision by surveilling and separating families. Learn more: upendmovement.org/familiestoge...

reproductive justice:
where everyone can make their own decisions about their pregnancies, when and how they build their families, and families have all the resources they need—not just to survive, but to thrive.

the family policing system:
also known as “the child welfare system” or “child protective services,” this system punishes, surveils, and separates families—especially those that are Black, Indigenous, Latine, or struggling to make ends meet.

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 01/09/2026

Abortion bans and the child welfare system are part of the same playbook to control our bodies and our families. And now, an increasing number of families are being targeted by the family policing system after someone has an abortion. Join the fight at upendmovement.org/familiestogether

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 29/08/2026

On Monday, we're launching a new, national campaign connecting recent attacks on reproductive rights to the fight to end the family policing system and inviting people to join the fight! Learn more: upendmovement.org/familiestoge...

upendmovement.org

Keep Families Together - upEND Movement

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 24/08/2026

We'll see you in Chicago at @socialismconference.org! Join us for a pre-conference summit with the Social Work Activist Collective, the Network to Advance Abolition in Social Work, the Abolitionist Social Change Collective, and Social Work for Palestine. buff.ly/SjgRb2E

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 22/08/2026

If you're subscribed to our newsletter, you saw these behind-the-scenes photos first. We're launching a new campaign soon, so stay tuned. 👀 Subscribe to our newsletter ✉️ 🔗 upendmovement.substack.com

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 21/08/2026

Some people were uncomfortable with us using the word “abolition,” and they wrote a letter about it. They said we were misguided and disrespectful to slavery abolitionists for using this term in relation to the family policing system. We wrote a response. upendmovement.org/2026/08/20/w...

We Say “Abolition”–In Solidarity With Those Who Are Harmed by the Child Welfare System

“Calls to prohibit or restrict the use of the term “abolition” are not neutral scholarly appeals. They function as attempts to control the boundaries of legitimate critique and to assert authority over political language and movements that have been developed and advanced by Black scholars, organizers, and communities most directly impacted by these systems.”

“Communities most impacted by the family policing system are not obligated to accept existing arrangements as inevitable, nor to adopt language that renders those arrangements more palatable.”

“The question, then, is not whether abolition is an acceptable term, but whether we are willing to confront what it asks of us.”

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 01/07/2026

When a parent is experiencing #DomesticViolence, the family policing system doesn’t step in to help. They blame survivors and treat them as a threat to their kids. We discuss #IntimatePartnerViolence on the latest episode of The upEND Podcast with guest Ashley Albert. 🔗 buff.ly/U2Gf1Qs

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 24/06/2026

“The children are always ours, every single one of them, all over the globe; and I am beginning to suspect that whoever is incapable of recognizing this may be incapable of morality.” ― James Baldwin

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 21/06/2026

"I'd like to take a moment just to salute all those single parents." #HappyFathersDay from The upEND Podcast. Latest episode with Ashley Albert is streaming now. 🔗 buff.ly/U2Gf1Qs

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 19/06/2026

Abolition is.. an ancestral practice an ongoing political tradition a demand for liberation not yet fulfilled Our work is not about reform, it's abolition continued. #Juneteenth

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 18/06/2026

#StolenChildrensMonth is about HOPE. Listen to the latest episode of The upEND Podcast featuring Ashley Albert, the originator of Stolen Children’s Month. 🔗 upendmovement.org/podcast/epis...

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 18/06/2026

“When you’re a Black woman experiencing intimate partner violence, calling for help feels like choosing between two harms. The person hurting you and the system waiting to punish you.” In this NEW episode, we talk to the one and only Ashley Albert. #StolenChildrensMonth buff.ly/U2Gf1Qs

upendmovement.org

What About Survivors of Domestic Violence? (with Ashley Albert) - upEND Movement

Season 3, Episode 5

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 13/06/2026

"If I tell you, will you promise that you won't take me away?" On the "Nobody Should Believe Me" podcast, upEND Cofounder Alan Dettlaff reflects on his time as a child welfare caseworker. Listen to the full episode with @AlanDettlaff.com and @strawburriez.bsky.social: buff.ly/u5CaJko

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 13/06/2026

Child separation isn't just a policy. It's an industry. The people running these systems aren't just following orders. They're following the money. This June, #StolenChildrensMonth follows the money and demands abolition. StolenChildrensMonth.com

Slide 1 reads in large bold black text: “CHILD SEPARATION IS A BUSINESS.” Smaller text underneath says: “AND IT IS A VERY PROFITABLE ONE.” Bottom right says: “Swipe to follow the money,” with teal arrows pointing right.

Slide 2 states that the foster care and adoption industry generated $22 billion in annual U.S. revenue in 2022, citing the IBISWorld Adoption & Child Welfare Services Industry Report (2022). The slide compares the system’s financial dependence on children entering care to the business model of private prisons. Bottom right repeats: “Swipe to follow the money.”

Slide 3 cites a Common Dreams article about GEO Group’s 2025 profits from immigrant detention. Large text says “$254 MILLION.” Additional text explains that GEO Group reported a record $254 million profit in 2025, driven by ICE detention contracts, with 43% of company revenue tied to immigration detention.

Slide 4 reads: “THIS IS NOT A SYSTEM IN NEED OF REFORM. IT IS AN INDUSTRY IN NEED OF ABOLITION.” Additional text says corporations profit from family separation and therefore have a financial interest in keeping families apart. The final lines read: “YOU CANNOT REFORM A SYSTEM BUILT ON STOLEN CHILDREN. ABOLISH IT.” Bottom right displays “StolenChildrensMonth.com.”

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 11/06/2026

"I didn't want my kids taken away, so I didn't talk." How do we support survivors of #IntimatePartnerViolence and their children without relying on the harmful family policing system? #DomesticViolence #ChildWelfare buff.ly/hafeTsx

"I didn't want my kids taken away, so I didn't talk." Image of a hospital and a police car.

Mandatory reporting laws require Professionals to report information that survivors share to the police or child protective services (CPS). People seeking help from a domestic violence hotline said that being reported made their situation worse. Graph from the National LGBTQ Domestic Violence Capacity Building Learning Center.

Reclaiming Safety for Domestic Violence Survivors and Their Kids

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 10/06/2026

The #FamilyPolicingSystem doesn't help domestic violence survivors or protect their kids! The system accuses survivors of harming their children, citing “failure to protect” laws, even when the children haven’t been harmed directly. There's a better way. Read our essay:

upendmovement.org

Reclaiming Safety for Domestic Violence Survivors and Their Kids - upEND Movement

Survivors have been clear about what they need to build safety for themselves and their kids: housing, childcare, mental health care, financial stability, community support, and people who will…

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 29/05/2026

"Here For The Kids" is a new documentary in production. It follows director Josh Sabey and his family’s harrowing interactions with CPS and explores the history and current state of family policing. Featuring voices from upEND and JMAC for Families. → buff.ly/2LOzLqN

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 01/05/2026

Changes are bittersweet. 💙 Josie Pickens will transition from her role as upEND's Program Director to a new position in Houston, TX. This isn't goodbye, though - she will join our team in an advisory capacity. Read her letter: upendmovement.org/2026/05/01/t...

upendmovement.org

Transitions - upEND Movement

An update from Josie Pickens.

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 28/04/2026

A NEW EPISODE of the upEND Podcast is out now! We talk to Dinah Ortiz about what real safety looks like for families when a parent uses substances.

upendmovement.org

What About Parents Who Use Drugs? (with Dinah Ortiz) - upEND Movement

Season 3, Episode 4

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 15/04/2026

upEND Director Josie Pickens writes about her experience with a delivery at 25 weeks and why it’s more important than ever to address the Black maternal health crisis in the city she calls home. #BlackMaternalHealthWeek newsone.com/6803365/blac...

newsone.com

I Was Born In Houston, Gave Birth There, And Almost Died There

The Black maternal health crisis in Houston cannot be understood solely as a healthcare failure; it is a reproductive justice crisis.

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 18/03/2026

"Reclaiming Safety for Children Whose Parents Use Substances" is a brand-new essay in collaboration with @drugpolicy.org. Authors @kassandrafred.bsky.social, Dinah Ortiz, and Mark Z. challenge us to shift our understanding of drug use and parenting. buff.ly/MjXwSw0

“Reclaiming Safety for Children Whose Parents Use Substances” cover image features a mom being hugged by her teenage son and an illustration of a living room behind them.

By punishing parents who use substances, the family policing system has become a collaborative arm of the war on drugs. Image of an apartment complex with an eye drawn over it.

True support for children and parents begins with a fundamental shift in understanding drug use and parenting. 1. Addressing substance use may not be a family’s primary need. 2. The family policing system is poorly equipped to provide the support families actually need and creates additional harm. 3. Shame and stigma prevent people from getting the support they need.

MOVING FROM SURVEILLANCE TO SUPPORT: 1. Support the needs of parents and advocate for the whole family. 2. Address the material, everyday circumstances of families to create meaningful, sustained support and change. 3. Create community and kin-based care networks

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 12/03/2026

If we abolish the family policing system, how do we respond to child sexual abuse? In this new episode of The upEND Podcast, we talk with Roxanna Asgarian about the topic no one wants to address. @strawburriez.bsky.social

upendmovement.org

What About Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse? (with Roxanna Asgarian) - upEND Movement

Season 3, Episode 3

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 07/03/2026

Last week, we joined organizers, birth workers, and advocates for a panel hosted by Avow Texas. The conversation confronted a painful truth: Houston remains the deadliest major U.S. city for Black people to give birth. Grateful to share space with partners doing this work.

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 01/03/2026

Communities need resources. Let's start there. #ReclaimingSafety Listen to the full episode with Angela Burton: buff.ly/Dc1G90f

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 26/02/2026

Angela Burton gives an example of what #LivingAbolitionNow can look like when we promote healing and accountability within our communities, without punishment and policing. #ReclaimingSafety Listen to the full episode on The upEND Podcast: upendmovement.org/podcast/epis...

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 23/02/2026

Angela Burton is the editor of our "Reclaiming Safety" essay series, and she explains what you can expect during this season of The upEND Podcast as we focus on frequently asked questions about #FamilyPolicing #Abolition. Listen to the full episode: buff.ly/Dc1G90f

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Reposted by upEND Movement

eeka @eeka1313.bsky.social · 01/02/2026

Friends, please share this as widely as you're sharing posts about abuses occurring in other arms of policing. Kids belong with their families and communities and deserve to grow up free of fear.

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 13/02/2026

This episode is a love letter to the grandmothers who raised us. Listen to “Reclaiming Safety” on The upEND Podcast with the brilliant Angela Burton. #BlackHistoryMonth buff.ly/hgykX0Z

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 12/02/2026

A new episode of The upEND Podcast is out now! Listen to “What About Disabled Parents?” with special guest Dr. Robyn Powell! We’ve been following Dr. Powell’s work for years, so it was great to finally have this conversation.

upendmovement.org

What About Disabled Parents? (with Dr. Robyn Powell) - upEND Movement

Season 3, Episode 2

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 09/02/2026

The practice of forcibly separating Black and Indigenous children from their families is used by the state to maintain a system of white supremacy that is foundational to this country. The family policing system is not about #ChildWelfare. Read the full zine: upendmovement.org/zine (link in bio) 🔗

A historical illustration of Black children being taken from a Black mother by enslavers: During slavery, family separations were used as a threat and a punishment.

A photo of hundreds of Indigenous children outside of a boarding school: Indigenous children were stolen and violently stripped of their language and culture to destabilize tribal communities.

A photo of President Bill Clinton signing the Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA): As the system became more formalized, it began targeting Black families. Today, **more than half** of all Black children in the United States are investigated by child welfare authorities.

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 06/02/2026

“Abolish the steel traps.” Repost from the Immigrant Legal Resource Center. 🎨 🖌️

An illustration of a school surrounded by open steel traps. Speech bubbles above say, “Steel trap setters need to be better trained. We need to reform the steel traps. If only we had oversight of those steel traps."

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 03/02/2026

ICE must be abolished, and its abolition is possible. We fight for abolition and the end of family separation because we know that state violence is not inevitable. buff.ly/zNmmB93

open.substack.com

The Demand Will Always Be Abolition

On Ending ICE and Borders

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 02/02/2026

And… we’re on Substack! We’re in the process of migrating our newsletter to Substack so we can expand our reach and make our work more easily accessible. Check out our first post and subscribe to our new email newsletter! buff.ly/jc2gcDC

open.substack.com

New Zine Explains Family Policing Abolition

January 2026 Newsletter

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 30/01/2026

Season 3 of The upEND Podcast starts NOW featuring an introduction by our friend and co-author Angela Burton! upendmovement.org/podcast/epis...

upendmovement.org

Reclaiming Safety | The upEND Podcast Season 3, Episode 1 - upEND Movement

Season 3, Episode 1

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 30/01/2026

We love seeing our zine out in the wild! It can be made with one sheet of paper, scissors, and staples. It’s a colorful way to start conversations with friends about what true safety can look like without the #FamilyPolicingSystem. upendmovement.org/zine

A gloved hand holds copies of upEND’s zine in front of a little library on the sidewalk.

The interior of the library box holds zines, books, and a flyer for a fundraiser for Gaza families where people can purchase books, crafts and more.

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 18/01/2026

The same structures that separate families through incarceration and ICE are connected to the #FamilyPolicingSystem. The whole carceral web needs to be dismantled for our communities to be safe and whole. #AbolishICE #Abolition Read the full zine: upendmovement.org/zine 🔗

The family policing system is just one part of the carceral web. From incarceration to borders to family policing, we oppose the surveillance and state-sanctioned separation of children from their families in all forms. Collage image shows a Black mother with an infant, a police officer, and an illustration of a watchful eye.

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 15/01/2026

The child welfare system doesn’t help families. We more accurately call it the family policing system. Read the full zine: upendmovement.org/zine/

The child welfare system doesn’t help families. We more accurately call it the family policing system. This collage features news articles about the child welfare system tearing families apart and shows a picture of a Black mother holding an infant.

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 15/01/2026

Check out our new zine, “Abolish the Family Policing System.” ✂️ A printable version is available on our website for sharing with friends and neighbors. upendmovement.org/zine/

New upEND Zine! You can read it in a few minutes. Download a printable copy. Get an intro to family policing abolition. upendmovement.org/zine

The cover of the zine says Abolish the Family Policing System in a collage style with lime green and black and white elements.

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 22/11/2025

It will take varied responses across local, state, and national levels to reduce the reach of the family policing system. We’re thankful for the organizers chipping away at the system, one case, one march, one project at a time. buff.ly/TXzEyne

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Amicus Brief Successful in New Jersey Supreme Court - upEND Movement

These cases highlight the intersections of family policing, the criminal legal system, and the inherent violence of mandated reporting.

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 22/11/2025

And of course, this surveillance is racialized, disproportionally targeting Black and Indigenous families. Research shows that injuries in Black children are nine times more likely than those in white children to be reported as abuse. buff.ly/TXzEyne

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 22/11/2025

Mandated reporting is violent. Because doctors are encouraged and required to report families for suspected abuse, it creates distrust between communities and medical professionals and may dissuade parents from seeking critical emergency care for their children. buff.ly/TXzEyne

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 22/11/2025

Their decision means that symptoms commonly associated with “shaken baby syndrome” cannot be used as evidence of abuse on a theory of shaking alone without some other impact to a child’s head. buff.ly/TXzEyne

buff.ly

Amicus Brief Successful in New Jersey Supreme Court - upEND Movement

These cases highlight the intersections of family policing, the criminal legal system, and the inherent violence of mandated reporting.

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 22/11/2025

upEND Movement, MJCF Coalition, and Mothers Outreach Network signed onto an amicus brief to appeal the decisions in the State v. Nieves and State v. Cifelli, and the appeal was upheld by the New Jersey Supreme Court. buff.ly/TXzEyne

upendmovement.org

Amicus Brief Successful in New Jersey Supreme Court - upEND Movement

These cases highlight the intersections of family policing, the criminal legal system, and the inherent violence of mandated reporting.

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 22/11/2025

Join Zoe Bambara and Dr. Mali Collins to discuss framing the Reproductive Jusice Movement for 2026. Dr. Collins is the author of Scrap Theory which discusses how the archival erasure of Black motherhood is an urgent concern. December 13, 6:30pm buff.ly/SWWDxZg

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 14/11/2025

Join @haymarketbooks.org for a virtual book launch of "How to End Family Policing: From Outrage to Action” with featured speakers Dorothy Roberts, Andrea Ritchie, and Erin Miles Cloud. 📅 December 1 🕐4-5:30 pm ET 🔗 Register: www.howtoendfamilypolicing.com/events

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 12/11/2025

Despite the struggles the community faces at Montrose Grace Place, it’s a JOYFUL place. ❤️ Love is contagious there. And we hope you’ll get to experience it through the portrait of the youth featured in upEND’s short doc #AVisionOfGrace. buff.ly/EtK0G9t

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upEND Movement @upendmovement.org · 12/11/2025

International experts are now echoing what U.S. communities have been saying for generations: children and families deserve support, not surveillance. Read the full report: buff.ly/DVBMlPi

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