We are often told that decisions in the child welfare system are driven by science and the "best interest" of the child. But what happens when developmental theory is twisted into a legal weapon to permanently destroy Black and Brown families?

In this episode of Torn, hosts Sonia and Classie are joined by Jessica C. Duesler, a board-certified licensed clinical social worker and forensic consultant with 20 years of experience.

Together, they dismantle the way "attachment theory" is misused in courtrooms to justify legal human trafficking and forced cultural assimilation. Jessica challenges the field to admit that using attachment language to finalize family separation isn't science—it is a tool of cultural judgment used to punish parents for systemic harm.

If attachment theory were used ethically, it would be applied on the front end to prevent unnecessary removals and prioritize keeping families together. Whether you are an attorney, a social worker, or a community advocate, this episode will arm you with the arguments needed to challenge subjective evaluations and demand true, evidence-based family preservation.

Resources Mentioned:

• Article: "The Weaponization of Whiteness in Child Welfare" by Jessica Desler and Malika (MJ) Jihad (The Guardian)

• Jess's Practice & Consulting: Colorado Forensic Family Advocacy

If Part 1 exposed the commodification of children, Part 2 dissects the machinery that keeps it running—and offers a roadmap for how we disrupt it. We return with Astrid Castro (Adoption Mosaic) and MJ (Maleeka Jihad) to move beyond the comfortable checklist of "cultural competency" and demand true Adoption Literacy.

In this conclusion to our conversation, we shift from the "why" to the uncomfortable "how." We discuss the dismantling of the ethical framework of modern adoption. Together, we explore the clash of value systems (axiology) that fuels entitlement—where white cultural values prioritize "ownership" (member-to-object) while Black and Latine values prioritize "relationship" (communal).

The episode concludes with a vision for the future: why adoption must cease to be a cure for infertility, why co-parenting is the only ethical standard, and how projects like "Letters to Stolen Loved Ones" are creating space for grief and repair.

Resources Mentioned:

• Adoption Mosaic (Astrid Castro)
• MJCF Coalition: Letters to Stolen Loved Ones Toolkit
• Study Mentioned: Edwards, Fong, & Apel (JAMA Pediatrics, Dec 2025) on foster care outcomes

When we talk about transracial adoption, the prevailing narrative is often one of "love rescued" and "happily ever after." But for many adoptees, the reality is a complex journey of loss, erasure, and survival.

In this episode, hosts Sonia and Classie are joined by two powerhouse guests: Astrid Castro, CEO of Adoption Mosaic and an intercountry adoptee, and MJ (Maleeka Jihad), an anti-racist strategist and expert on the family regulation system. Together, they dismantle the "rainbows and unicorns" status quo to reveal the transactional nature of the child welfare industry

In Part 2 of our series on Termination of Parental Rights (TPR), Sarah Katz and Corey Best return to examine the narratives that shape how the system justifies separating families.

They unpack the power of story—who gets to tell it, whose voice is believed, and how these narratives influence everything from court decisions to public opinion. This episode challenges us to look beyond “compliance” and ask what safety and accountability would look like if they were defined by families, not institutions.

Rooted in their co-authored essay, True Narratives: Framing Pain, Punishment, and the Lethality of Termination of Parental Rights, this conversation is a call to reimagine justice, truth-telling, and support that centers love—not liability.

Listen if you work in family defense, child welfare, or are questioning how the stories we uplift can either uphold or dismantle systemic harm.

In Part 1 of this conversation, Sarah Katz and Corey Best explore the deeper logic behind child welfare’s most permanent act: Termination of Parental Rights. From legal frameworks to racialized assumptions about parenting, they name how the system focuses more on control than connection—and why that needs to change.

Read Corey and Sarah's paper:

True Narratives: Framing Pain, Punishment, and the Lethality of Termination of Parental Rightshttps://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5131600

In this episode, Sonia and Classie speak with Aubrey Edwards-Luce about the use of law, policy, and lived experience to shift systems that separate families under the banner of protection.

Aubrey outlines how court systems often move forward without informing families of their rights and how that process disproportionately affects Black and Indigenous communities. She explains how advocates and impacted parents developed the Know Your Rights Toolkit to respond to that silence and create pathways to self-protection and resistance.

The conversation moves through the roots of family regulation, the role of professionals in maintaining or challenging harmful norms, and what it means to shift power to those directly affected. It offers steps for advocates, attorneys, and community members who want to build a system centered on care, not compliance.

📌 For listeners working to hold systems accountable and support families beyond courtrooms, this episode offers tools and direction.

In Part 2 of our conversation with Genet Stewart, we go deeper into the realities of a system she once worked to uphold—and now works to dismantle. Genet spent 22 years inside child welfare. Now, she’s speaking out about what the system is really designed to do, who benefits from it, and why she believes reform isn’t enough.

She breaks down the industry built around family separation, the connection to racial capitalism, and the ways “safety” becomes a cover for control. We also talk through what abolition could look like—and how faith, accountability, and clarity all play a role in imagining something different.

This episode is for anyone who’s ever felt stuck between surviving a system and challenging it.

🎧 Listen to Part 1 first if you haven’t already—and stay tuned for more conversations that expose harm and build vision.

#ChildWelfare #Abolition #GenetStewart #FamilyPreservation #SystemChange #SocialJustice #TornPodcast

This is Part 1 of a two-part conversation with Genet Steward, who spent 22 years working inside the child welfare system.

In this episode, Genet talks with us about why she joined the system, what she witnessed over two decades, and what led her to start telling the truth about the harm it causes—especially to Black families.
She also shares her experience adopting her son after leaving the system, and how that decision deepened her understanding of family separation and her commitment to abolition.