PRESS RELEASE. FOR IMMEDIATE DISTRIBUTION.
Washington D.C., Tuesday, March 16, 2022
Washington D.C., Tuesday, March 16, 2022
VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT (VAWA) REAUTHORIZATION NOW INCLUDES
THE 'KEEPING CHILDREN SAFE FROM VIOLENCE ACT’
"KAYDEN'S LAW"
NSPC Holds Information Session Online
Tuesday, March 15 at 6 pm EST
THE 'KEEPING CHILDREN SAFE FROM VIOLENCE ACT’
"KAYDEN'S LAW"
NSPC Holds Information Session Online
Tuesday, March 15 at 6 pm EST
Washington D.C. (March 15, 2022) – On Tuesday, March 15, 2022, at 6pm ET, National Safe Parents Coallition (NSPC) will host an online VAWA/Kayden’s Law information session for advocates, media, concerned citizens and safe parents. The session will explain how the reauthorization of VAWA through 2027, preserves advancements made in previous reauthorizations and includes improvements including Kayden’s Law, The Keeping Children Safe From Family Violence Act. This provision will incentivize states to ensure that their child custody laws adequately protect at-risk children in family court custody disputes.
The hour session has over 500 participants registered and will include special guests Kathy Sherlock (Kayden's Mom) and Danielle Pollack, Policy Manager of the National Family Violence Law Center, founded & directed by Joan Meier.
According to Danielle Pollack, “We believe it is a child’s right to live free from abuse and that child safety, which is implicit in VAWA now, must be made the top priority in practice, in all private custody decision-making in every state.”
“For decades, safe parents across the nation have struggled to keep their children safe from a dangerous ex partner, while family courts frequently minimize risk concerns and the detrimental effects of family violence on children as victims or witnesses. Too often, court decisions have compounded harms to at-risk children, sometimes ending in preventable abuse and child murder by a dangerous parent,” added Danielle.
“Kayden’s Law,” is now a provision in VAWA aimed at making child safety the primary concern in custody disputes. VAWA now requires state family court judges to consider criminal convictions in custody disputes and recommends courts across the U.S. implement child and domestic abuse training for family court judges and court personnel.
"Kayden's Law" is named after Kayden Mancuso, a 7-year-old girl from Bucks County, Pennsylvania who was murdered by her father during court-ordered unsupervised custody time, which was granted despite the mother raising safety concerns during custody litigation. Kayden’s mother, Kathy Sherlock submitted evidence to the court of the father’s abusive, violent history – including criminal records [and a protection from abuse order against him] - but he was nevertheless granted unsupervised contact with Kayden. The father then beat Kayden to death and tied a bag over her head, leaving a note of retribution on her body.
Unfortunately, Kayden's story is not unique and many children have been preventably killed like this by a dangerous parent who was awarded custody. It is estimated that each year in the U.S. tens of thousands of children are court-ordered into the custody of an abusive parent, frequently without supervision or other safeguards in place. Furthermore, throughout the world, dangerous parents are using family court systems to harm children and former partners, continuing their post-separation abuse with little oversight and accountability. While these problems have been widely studied and documented, children continue to be sent into harms way.
NSPC extends our deepest gratitude to Senators Durbin, Ernst, Feinstein and Murkowski, to the National Family Violence Law Center at GW, to Kayden’s family, and to everyone involved in #KaydensLaw in #VAWA. A very and special thanks to Angelina Jolie for her advocacy to protect all of our nation's children.
“No child should ever be court ordered to be left alone with a dangerous abuser, period. Kayden’s Law in VAWA will help states to ensure that never happens again,” said Danielle. “By adding Kayden’s Law to VAWA, for the first time since it was passed in 1994, states will be eligible for federal funding when they improve their state custody statutes and close loopholes which routinely jeopardize the safety of children,” she added.
VAWA Kayden’s Law (Begins on page 2294)
The Keeping Children Safe From Family Violence Act or "Kayden’s Law" in VAWA, incentivizes states to ensure that their child custody laws adequately protect at-risk children by:
1. Restricting expert testimony to only those who are appropriately qualified to provide it.
Evidence from court-appointed or outside professionals regarding alleged abuse may be admitted only when the professional possesses demonstrated expertise and experience in working with victims of domestic violence or child abuse, including child sexual abuse.
2. Limiting the use of reunification camps and therapies which cannot be proven to be safe and effective.
No “reunification treatment” may be ordered by the court without scientifically valid and generally accepted proof of the safety, effectiveness and therapeutic value of the particular treatment.
3. Providing evidence-based ongoing training to judges and court personnel on family violence subject matter, including: (i) child sexual abuse; (ii) physical abuse; (iii) emotional abuse; (iv) coercive control; (v) implicit and explicit bias; (vi) trauma; (vii) long and short-term impacts of domestic violence and child abuse on children; and (viii) victim and perpetrator behaviors. We will advocate to reform state and federal legislation to protect mothers and their children from continued DA during Family Court proceedings. In addition, we hope to eliminate bias against a mother's DA allegations during child custody proceedings.
About NSPO
Founded in January 2022, the National Safe Parents Organization represents dozens of family court reform and advocacy organizations, including more than 100,000 survivor parents and concerned citizens in the United States advocating for evidence-based policies which put child safety and risks at the forefront of child custody decisions.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/safe_parents
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nationalsafeparents/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nationalsafeparentscoalition/
###
Contact:
media@nationalsafeparents.org
The hour session has over 500 participants registered and will include special guests Kathy Sherlock (Kayden's Mom) and Danielle Pollack, Policy Manager of the National Family Violence Law Center, founded & directed by Joan Meier.
According to Danielle Pollack, “We believe it is a child’s right to live free from abuse and that child safety, which is implicit in VAWA now, must be made the top priority in practice, in all private custody decision-making in every state.”
“For decades, safe parents across the nation have struggled to keep their children safe from a dangerous ex partner, while family courts frequently minimize risk concerns and the detrimental effects of family violence on children as victims or witnesses. Too often, court decisions have compounded harms to at-risk children, sometimes ending in preventable abuse and child murder by a dangerous parent,” added Danielle.
“Kayden’s Law,” is now a provision in VAWA aimed at making child safety the primary concern in custody disputes. VAWA now requires state family court judges to consider criminal convictions in custody disputes and recommends courts across the U.S. implement child and domestic abuse training for family court judges and court personnel.
"Kayden's Law" is named after Kayden Mancuso, a 7-year-old girl from Bucks County, Pennsylvania who was murdered by her father during court-ordered unsupervised custody time, which was granted despite the mother raising safety concerns during custody litigation. Kayden’s mother, Kathy Sherlock submitted evidence to the court of the father’s abusive, violent history – including criminal records [and a protection from abuse order against him] - but he was nevertheless granted unsupervised contact with Kayden. The father then beat Kayden to death and tied a bag over her head, leaving a note of retribution on her body.
Unfortunately, Kayden's story is not unique and many children have been preventably killed like this by a dangerous parent who was awarded custody. It is estimated that each year in the U.S. tens of thousands of children are court-ordered into the custody of an abusive parent, frequently without supervision or other safeguards in place. Furthermore, throughout the world, dangerous parents are using family court systems to harm children and former partners, continuing their post-separation abuse with little oversight and accountability. While these problems have been widely studied and documented, children continue to be sent into harms way.
NSPC extends our deepest gratitude to Senators Durbin, Ernst, Feinstein and Murkowski, to the National Family Violence Law Center at GW, to Kayden’s family, and to everyone involved in #KaydensLaw in #VAWA. A very and special thanks to Angelina Jolie for her advocacy to protect all of our nation's children.
“No child should ever be court ordered to be left alone with a dangerous abuser, period. Kayden’s Law in VAWA will help states to ensure that never happens again,” said Danielle. “By adding Kayden’s Law to VAWA, for the first time since it was passed in 1994, states will be eligible for federal funding when they improve their state custody statutes and close loopholes which routinely jeopardize the safety of children,” she added.
VAWA Kayden’s Law (Begins on page 2294)
The Keeping Children Safe From Family Violence Act or "Kayden’s Law" in VAWA, incentivizes states to ensure that their child custody laws adequately protect at-risk children by:
1. Restricting expert testimony to only those who are appropriately qualified to provide it.
Evidence from court-appointed or outside professionals regarding alleged abuse may be admitted only when the professional possesses demonstrated expertise and experience in working with victims of domestic violence or child abuse, including child sexual abuse.
2. Limiting the use of reunification camps and therapies which cannot be proven to be safe and effective.
No “reunification treatment” may be ordered by the court without scientifically valid and generally accepted proof of the safety, effectiveness and therapeutic value of the particular treatment.
3. Providing evidence-based ongoing training to judges and court personnel on family violence subject matter, including: (i) child sexual abuse; (ii) physical abuse; (iii) emotional abuse; (iv) coercive control; (v) implicit and explicit bias; (vi) trauma; (vii) long and short-term impacts of domestic violence and child abuse on children; and (viii) victim and perpetrator behaviors. We will advocate to reform state and federal legislation to protect mothers and their children from continued DA during Family Court proceedings. In addition, we hope to eliminate bias against a mother's DA allegations during child custody proceedings.
About NSPO
Founded in January 2022, the National Safe Parents Organization represents dozens of family court reform and advocacy organizations, including more than 100,000 survivor parents and concerned citizens in the United States advocating for evidence-based policies which put child safety and risks at the forefront of child custody decisions.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/safe_parents
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nationalsafeparents/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nationalsafeparentscoalition/
###
Contact:
media@nationalsafeparents.org