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    End TPR Gatherings (Via Zoom)

    This series of virtual gatherings aims to deepen understanding and challenge the regular use of Termination of Parental Rights (TPR) as a legal permanency outcome in child welfare proceedings. Virtual gatherings will provide a dedicated space for attendees to learn, connect and support each other in their efforts to challenge the legal practice of TPR. Expert presenters will delve into the data, intergenerational harms, and legal implications of TPR, while sharing insights from both legal and lived experiences.

    The End TPR Initiative's virtual gatherings are held monthly on the third Wednesday of each month at 1:00 p.m. EST. Each gathering is followed by a workshop on the proceeding Monday at 1:00 p.m. EST. The workshop serves as a space to further discuss the topics addressed in the gatherings, strategize with new ideas, ask questions, and share experiences with TPR in a smaller group setting. Please email Alex Cinney at [email protected] for access to the workshop space.

    Recordings of the virtual gatherings can be found on this page. Workshops will not be recorded.

    Whether you're looking to learn more about the challenges to TPR or seeking to advance your advocacy in this area, we invite you to join us for these critical conversations.

    January 2025: Why We Should End TPR

    January 8, 2025

    The first End TPR virtual gathering featured panelists Shrounda Selivanoff, Sheri Freemont and Vivek Sankaran who critically examined the involuntary termination of parental rights (TPR) under law. Panelists challenged the assumption that TPR serves the best interests of children and families and highlighted the lasting and intergenerational harm caused by the legal severance of family ties. The discussion explored the due process and constitutional concerns surrounding TPR and raised important questions about the systemic failures that contribute to its use.

    Due to a system error, the panelist introductions were not recorded. Please see below for the panelist's information. 

    Shrounda Selivanoff – Chief of Parent Representation Initiatives with the WA State Office of Public Defense

    Sheri Freemont – Managing Director of the Judicial and National Engagement Consulting team at Casey Family Programs

    Vivek Sankaran – Director of the Child Advocacy Law Clinic and Child Welfare Appellate Clinic at the University of Michigan Law School

    Additional Resources

    February 2025: Defending Parental Rights: Constitutional Challenges to TPR

    February 19, 2025

    This session highlighted foundational constitutional principles and emphasized the importance of utilizing constitutional arguments to protect the reciprocal fundamental rights of parents and children. Expert presenters, Chris Gottlieb, Director of the NYU School of Law Family Defense Clinic, and Tara Urs, Special Counsel for Civil Policy and Practice at King County Public Defense in Washington, shared strategies and legal arguments for advocates to challenge TPR through a constitutional lens.

    Additional Resources

    • Presentation Slides (PDF) Please note that these slides were created by the presenters and do not represent official ABA policy.

    March 2025: Strict Scrutiny in Practice: Lessons from Alabama’s TPR Jurisprudence

    March 19, 2025

    Presenters Christopher Church and Juliana Taylor took an in-depth look at the complexities of applying strict scrutiny in termination of parental rights (TPR) cases. Christopher Church shared key insights from his article, co-authored with Vivek Sankaran, "Applying Strict Scrutiny in Termination of Parental Rights Proceedings: Why Alabama's Jurisprudence Should Reshape Child Protection Practice." Juliana Taylor offered her perspective as a practicing attorney in Alabama, highlighting how Alabama courts have navigated this rigorous constitutional standard and what practitioners can learn from recent jurisprudence. 

    Additional Resources

    April 2025: Incentivizing Separation: The Past and Present of the Financial Forces Behind TPR

    April 16, 2025

    This webinar explored the financial incentives that drive TPR. Legal scholar Josh Gupta-Kagan and physician-historian Mical Raz unpacked how federal funding structures have encouraged family separation, even in instances where the children’s best interests were served by remaining unified with family. We dove into the history of these financial incentives, including how policies prioritized adoption and termination over meaningful family support. This conversation highlighted how history, policy, law, and funding have intersected to shape outcomes for families.

    Additional Resources

    Virtual Gathering Schedule

    January 2025: Why We Should End TPR

    February 2025: Defending Parental Rights: Constitutional Challenges to TPR

    March 2025: Strict Scrutiny in Practice: Lessons from Alabama's TPR Jurisprudence 

      April 2025: Incentivizing Separation: The Past and Present of the Financial Forces Behind TPR

      May 2025: The Trouble with Best Interests: Rethinking the Standard in TPR Cases

    • Virtual Gathering - Wednesday 5/21 at 1:00 p.m. EST
    • Workshop - Wednesday 5/28 at 1:00 p.m. EST *note the change to Wednesday rather than Monday due to the holiday
    • Registration: click here.

      June 2025 

    • Virtual Gathering - Wednesday 6/18 at 1:00 p.m. EST
    • Workshop - Monday 6/23 at 1:00 p.m. EST
    • Registration: Coming soon

    To be added to the listserv for announcements about future virtual gatherings and/or the subsequent workshop meetings, please email Alex Cinney at [email protected].