Repeal CAPTA.

End family policing. Support families, not systems.

What is CAPTA?

The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) of 1974 is the federal law that creates a national framework for the modern family policing system, a more accurate term for the “child welfare” system. CAPTA fails to fulfill its stated purpose of preventing and treating actual child abuse, and it causes tremendous harm to children and families. 

Under the guise of protecting children, CAPTA incentivizes the surveillance, criminalization, and separation of millions of disproportionately Black, Latine, Indigenous, and low-income white families. 

Who Are We?

We are a national coalition of impacted families, advocates, social workers, attorneys, teachers, health care workers, and other people working to end the devastating effects of CAPTA on children, families, and communities.

Joyce McMillan, JMACforFamilies
SarahDuggan_JMACforFamilies-5.jpg
Meredith Giovanelli, Children's Rights

The Coalition

  • JMACforFamilies

  • Pregnancy Justice

    Pregnancy Justice

  • UpEND Movement

  • National Coalition for Child Protection Reform

  • The MJCF Coalition

  • Center for Family Representation

  • Holistic Birth Collective

  • Mining for Gold

  • National Center for Lesbian Rights

  • Children's Rights

What Do We Believe?

Our coalition rejects CAPTA’s foundational logic of surveillance and punishment. Instead, we advocate for a care and resource-driven approach to meeting the needs and aspirations of children and families.