On November 16th 2020 PFAN hosted a webinar in Wales as part of the
The webinar shared experiences of parents and their allies in the United States and the UK, showing how parent advocacy can create better co-operation and understanding between parents and social workers, reduces the need for compulsory statutory interventions and for children to be looked after by local authorities. The webinar helped parents, professionals and their allies to learn from the experience of others and consider how to engage with and support parents to become advocates and to promote a genuine partnership based on parents’ voices and experiences. It was a launch pad for the development of parent advocacy within Wales and beyond.
The programme included local, national and international perspectives and contributions from:
• Hope Newton, Parent Advocate for Center for Family Representation (CFR)NY, Chair Rise Board and child welfare-affected parent.
• Taliah Drayak, parent advocate, founder of Scots Mums Guide to Safeguarding and Child Protection, Administrator of International Parent Advocacy Network and parent with child protection experience.
• Sana Malik , a parent with lived experience of the child protection system in Wales, a mental health support worker and one of the founding members of PAN (Parent Advocacy Network) – West Glamorgan.
• David Tobis, Ph.D, Visiting Professor at the University of Central Lancashire, author of ‘ From Pariahs to Partners : How parents and their allies changed New York City’s child welfare system’ David is an activist for child welfare reform and the strengthening of child welfare systems with parent involvement.
• Andy Bilson, Emeritus Professor of Social Work, University of Lancashire. Andy was a founder of PFAN and researches risk in the child protection system and the increasing separation of children from parents through adoption and care.
Andy and David promote parental advocacy and activism in child protection reform internationally with the development of the International Parent Advocacy Network (IPAN) and the publication, on 31st October 2020, of their International Review of Parent Advocacy in Child Welfare.