Some would say that abolishing the child welfare system would put children at risk while others would say it is a beautiful vision for families. How can one idea, one word, spark such vastly different points of view, and what does this difference help us better understand about the child welfare system?

In this episode of Community In-Site, host Valerie Frost balances these differing points of view in her conversation with Erin Miles Cloud, co-founder of Movement for Family Power and co-editor of How To End Family Policing. Erin explains what abolition actually means in practice, how safety can exist outside traditional systems, and what structures must be built to replace what’s removed.

This conversation doesn’t resolve the debate. Instead, it asks hard questions about power, accountability, and whether we can imagine a system that protects children without unnecessarily policing families.

Community In-Site is now on YouTube. You can go to the website to listen to episodes, access information and resources, and subscribe to the email newsletter. Podcasts Archive - Thriving Families

Here are a few resources that Erin wants to share with you.

• How to End Family Policing | Join the Movement
• Movement for Family Power
• The Scholar & Feminist Online - Toward the Abolition of the Foster System

We appreciate you spreading awareness by sharing this episode with your friends, family, and colleagues who care about family well-being.

Please email us if you want to connect with the creative team or find out how to engage with the family well-being movement. comminsite@gmail.com

Producer's Note: Season Three is Coming in January....

In this episode, host Valerie Frost talks with Bobbi Taylor, an experienced child welfare advocate and founder of Proximate Solution about why entrepreneurship matters in the family well-being sector.

Bobbi shares the problem she saw up close: gaps in support, training, and tools for people trying to make meaningful change, and how founding a business became her pathway to tackle it. Listeners will hear about the lessons she’s learning as an early-stage founder, the challenges of building something new in this sector, and the practical insights she hopes other social entrepreneurs can carry forward.

This conversation highlights creativity, courage, and the kind of initiative that shows why more founders and builders are needed to create new pathways when traditional systems fail.

You can go to the website to listen to episodes, read the blog, access information and resources, and subscribe to the email newsletter. Podcasts Archive - Thriving Families

Here are some links Bobbi would like to share with you.

• Home - Proximate Solution
• Bobbi Taylor | LinkedIn

We appreciate you spreading awareness by sharing this episode with your friends, family, and colleagues who care about family well-being.

Please email us if you want to connect with the creative team or find out how to engage with the family well-being movement. comminsite@gmail.com

Since our original conversation with Lisa Lawson, she’s published a new book called Thrive: How the Science of the Adolescent Brain Helps Us Imagine a Better Future for All Children. The book is a powerful reminder that adolescence is not a problem to fix, but a window of growth and possibility. Drawing on research, stories from the field, and feedback from young people, Lisa explores how we can better support adolescents, and why the decisions we make for young people now shape their future and ours.

Building on this work, the Annie E. Casey Foundation has also developed an upcoming resource for youth-serving organizations called Elevating Youth Engagement. This curriculum is designed to help adults and young people work together as partners in changemaking.

In the original episode, Valerie sat down with Lisa Lawson, the President and CEO of the Annie E. Casey Foundation. They discuss her leadership in the child welfare sector and the Foundation's pivotal role in advancing the Thriving Families, Safer Children (TFSC) movement. Lisa reflects on her journey as a leader, Foundation President, and the future of the TFSC movement.

Lisa shares insights into the shift from improving the foster care system to investing in community-based health promotion and family well-being. She also speaks about the work the Foundation is doing to keep children and families safe and thriving in their communities without involvement in the child welfare system.

The conversation explores the key principles behind the Foundation’s approach to TFSC, the challenges they’ve faced, and the tangible progress that’s being made. Lisa reflects on what excites her about the future of the child welfare sector and the role of philanthropy in driving lasting change. Tune in to hear how leadership, vision, and strategic partnerships are working together to create a movement that prioritizes prevention over intervention.

Community In-Site now has a Blog!! You can go to the website to listen to episodes, read the blog, access information and resources, and subscribe to the email newsletter. Home - Thriving Families

Here are some links Lisa would like to share to her new book and Elevating Youth Engagement curriculum.

• Thrive Book - The Annie E. Casey Foundation
• Elevating Youth Engagement - The Annie E. Casey Foundation

We appreciate you spreading awareness by sharing this episode with your friends, family, and colleagues who care about family well-being.

Please email us if you want to connect with the creative team or find out how to engage with the family well-being movement. comminsite@gmail.com