Latagia Copeland-Tyronce, MSW, CADAS

Welcome:-). My name is Latagia, Tagi for short, and I'm a writer, blogger, and freelance journalist. I'm also a Pro-Black and proud Afro-American woman, millennial, wife, mother, macro social worker, child welfare reform activist, parental rights and social justice advocate, parent mentor and founder, president and executive director of the National African American Families First and Preservation Association (NAFPA) a groundbreaking organization dedicated to the protection of the Black Family through policy and legislative advocacy. In addition to NAFPA, I founded both #BlackMothersForCPSAbolition and #BlackMothersForChildWelfareReform campaigns. As a First-Gen from an extremely low-income single parent background and household, I am happy to announce that I recently graduated with my Masters in Social Work specializing in policy. I am a staff writer and journalist for the award-winning online publication socialworkhelper.com where I cover child welfare news and other social justice topics. I also write frequently for my Medium advocacy blog and publication Tagi's World. I am a hopeless Quoran with over one million answer views. When not writing, advocating, or mentoring, I like to watch History Channel, PBS, and Discovery ID documentaries which drives my family crazy. I currently reside in Detroit with my husband Rev. Laverne Tyronce Sr. and our three-year-old son Laverne Jr.

SWHELPER •

The Minnesota African American Family Preservation Act: One Small Step in the Right Direction Towards A More Just Child Welfare System

It is widely accepted the earliest months and years of a child’s existence have the most profound impact on the rest of the lives. Attachment theorists believe the early bonds and relationships a child forms with his/her carer(s) or parent(s), informs that child’s ability or inability to form successful and healthy relationships in the future. Alan Sinclair’s ‘Right from the Start’ is the latest in the Postcards from Scotland series of short books, which aim to stimulate new and fresh thinking
Medium •

What the New HBO Documentary ‘Foster’ Glosses Over About the Child Welfare System

What the New HBO Documentary ‘Foster’ Glosses Over About the Child Welfare System I only become aware of ‘Foster’, the original HBO documentary that aired last night examining Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services which just so happens to be the largest child welfare agency in the country, a couple of days ago via Twitter and decided that I would take a look. As a former foster child, birth mother, parental rights, child welfare reform, and social justice advocate, this
Medium •

The Turpin Case: An Extreme Example of White Privilege Within the Child Welfare System

The Turpin Case: An Extreme Example of White Privilege Within the Child Welfare System I am just now writing this because I only recently became aware of the Turpin case. For those of you who, like myself, hadn't heard of the Turpins, here is a brief synopsis. The Turpins are a Californian family of 15, two adults, mother Louise and father David, and 13 of their (biological) children, several of whom were over the age of 18 — seven of the children were adults — but were still living at home — t
Rise Magazine •

Writing a Wrong – The courage of dedicated advocates can correct the injustices in the system

I unjustly lost 7 of my 8 children to the child welfare system because I was seen as unfit because I was a poor, African-American mother in an abusive relationship. During my fight for my family, I discovered how child welfare professionals who don’t know you or your children can decide that you are a disease that your children need to be cured of. Now I am determined to bring about change by writing about the harm that the child welfare system causes in the black community and advocating for
Medium •

Yes, The Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA) Can and Should Be Repealed!

Yes, the Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA) Can and Should Be Repealed! I decided to write this piece because, quite simply, it was long overdue. And since I have had extensive experience with ASFA — as a mother who unjustly lost several of my children to DHS, social justice advocate, and child welfare scholar — and consider it to be one of the most damaging and perverted pieced of legislation ever to be enacted, right up there was welfare reform, mandatory sentencing, and three strikes laws
Medium •

An Open Letter to Lucas County Juvenile Court Judge Denise Navarre Cubbon

Juvenile court judge in Toledo, Ohio who has presided over hundreds of—removals and terminations of parental rights — DHS cases against poor, overwhelming black, families. My name is Latagia Copeland-Tyronce and I am writing to you on behalf of my family and all the families of Lucas county. You may not remember me, but I can’t forget you, no matter how much I may try. It has been over four years since you terminated my rights to my daughters and three years since you terminated my rights to my