International Parent Advocacy Network

IPAN aims to increase the power of parents impacted by child protective systems. We support parents and organizations that mobilize against excessive surveillance and family separation through state care and adoption. IPAN works to empower parents around the world, so that their voices are heard and their rights protected.

Toolkit for Transformation

This online resource was created for parent advocates
and their allies  wishing to start a parent-led movement for change. The toolkit provides an accessible resource for parent advocates and their allies to learn from the experiences of other parent advocates and programs, and access resources that other organizations and advocates have created.

International Review of Parent Advocacy in Child Welfare

This new report published by IPAN and the Better Care Network includes the first international survey of parent advocacy programs. It outlines opportunities and challenges; lessons learnt across different settings and contexts, and evidence of the benefits of parent advocacy as a key element in child welfare system transformation.

Latest parent advocacy news

Read the latest news about developments in parent advocacy and child protection systems from around the world.

Toolkit for Transformation Webinar
Welcome to the Toolkit for Transformation Webinar Building an international parent-led movement fighting for families affected by child welfare In …
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Child abuse and COVID-19 in Alaska: The message and the messenger
It should be a basic rule of journalism – if someone points with alarm to a huge change in the …
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STRENGTHENED BONDS:ABOLISHING THE CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM AND RE-ENVISIONING CHILD WELL-BEING
Columbia Law SchoolColumbia Journal of Race and LawMarch 25-27, 2021 Twenty years ago, in Shattered Bonds: The Color of Child Welfare, law …
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Parent Advocacy Toolkit for Transformation Webinar – February 18th 2021
Introduction to the Parent Advocacy Toolkit by IPAN Tickets, Thu, Feb 18, 2021 at 5:00 PM | Eventbrite The parent …
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Poverty is not neglect!
                                              My name is Tammy Mayes. I am a mum of 4, admittedly most of my children are now adults, …
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Coronavirus updates

Read our latest updates on coronavirus and child protective systems.

Child abuse and COVID-19 in Alaska: The message and the messenger
It should be a basic rule of journalism – if someone points with alarm to a huge change in the …
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Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance for children’s social care services (and parents)
The most up-to-date guidance from the UK government on what to expect from child welfare services. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-for-childrens-social-care-services/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-for-local-authorities-on-childrens-social-care …
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Family Separation 2.0: “You aren’t going to separate me from my only child.”
Read the full report on how ‘Administration is weaponizing its public health response to COVID19 to punish and deter people …
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The impact of COVID-19 on Children’s Social Care in England
Mary Baginsky & Jill Manthorpe – Child Abuse & Neglect 16 Sep 2020 Abstract Background As a response to COVID-19 …
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Remote Court Hearings trauma
Remote court hearings putting vulnerable women in traumatic situations ‘which place them at unjust disadvantage’ This article in the Independent …
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