Federal Reform

Federal Reform

We need a Federal Resolution to ensure child protection becomes a priority on the state level in every state.

House Concurrent Resolution 72 states child safety is the first priority of custody and parenting adjudications, and courts should resolve safety risks and claims of family violence before assessing other best interest factors.

H. Con. Res. 72 has passed with zero objection in the US. House of Representatives on September 25, 2018.  States may state taking this acceptance for the need for child safety to their states now and Congressional hearings on family court practices.
The Resolution

H. Con. Res. 72 is a child safety resolution that will allow for states to ensure that child safety is the first priority in our courts; family violence matters are resolved before assessing best interest of the child; evidence from court and paid officials will only be accepted from those with the proper abuse and trauma training; and there will be oversight hearings to ensure family court practices are safe for children.  

The Goal

Our goal is to have Congress support the H. Con. Res. 72 that was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives in 2018 with 86 cosponsors.  We are calling for Congress to schedule hearings on family courts’ practices with regard to the objective, fair, and unbiased adjudication of children’s safety and civil rights.


Why Congressional Action is Necessary

In 1990, Congress passed H. Con. Res. 172, which played a critical role in catalyzing states’ adoption of a
presumption against awarding custody to a batterer. A similar intervention is needed now, to address some of
the ways even these legal protections are being side-stepped and to return courts’ focus to the safety and best
interest of the child. The Department of Justice is using Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) funds to
provide a limited number of lawyers and courts with technical assistance to improve representation and family
court adjudications of abuse claims. But a shift in focus nationwide is needed to protect the thousands of
children who are at risk in thousands of courts. Therefore, Congress should adopt H. Con. Res. 72 to encourages state courts to adjudicate family violence claims and risks to children before considering other best interest factors. Their resolution also encourages states to adopt qualification standards for third-party appointees and makes clear that Congress will use its oversight authority to protect at-risk children.

Supporters of the Resolution

Advocates for Child Empowerment & Safety (ACES) www.aces4safekids.org
California Protective Parents Association (CPPA) www.caprotectiveparents.org
Center for Judicial Excellence (CJE) www.centerforjudicialexcellence.org
Domestic Violence Legal Empowerment and Appeals Project (DV LEAP) www.dvleap.org
and
ACTION OHIO Coalition For Battered Women www.actionohio.org
Azusa City Council http://www.ci.azusa.ca.us/71/City-Council
Battered Mothers' Custody Conference http://www.batteredmotherscustodyconference.org
Baldwin Park City Council https://baldwinpark.com/
California Partnership to End Domestic Violence (CPEDV) www.cpedv.org
Center for Child Protection and Family Support http://www.centerchildprotection.org
Child Abuse Forensic Institute (CAFI) www.childabuseforensics.org
Child Abuse Solutions, Inc. http://childabusesolutions.com
Child Justice http://child-justice.org
Child Protection Institute (CPI) at Liberty University http://www.drjudithreisman.com/contact.html
Child USA http://childusa.org/
Children’s Civil Rights Union (CCRU) 
Children's Justice Fund http://childrensjustice.fund
City of Covina https://covinaca.gov/
Courageous Kids Network (CKN) http://www.courageouskids.net
Darkness to Light https://www.d2l.org
Distinction in Family Courts (DFC) http://distinctioninfamilycourts.org
Family Violence Appellate Project (FVAP) http://www.fvaplaw.org
Futures Without Violence (FUTURES) https://www.futureswithoutviolence.org
Incest Survivors Speakers Bureau (ISSB) http://www.issb.us
Joan of Arc Lawyers Foundation, Inc. http://www.joanofarclawyers.org
Justice for Children http://justiceforchildren.org
Legislative Coalition to Prevent Child Abuse
Legal Momentum http://www.legalmomentum.org
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department www.lasd.org 
MassKids (Massachusetts Citizens for Children) http://www.masskids.org
Moms Fight Back http://momsfightback.org/
National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) www.ncadv.org
National Coalition for Family Justice (NCFJ) http://www.ncfj.org
National Domestic Violence Hotline http://www.thehotline.org
National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) http://nnedv.org
National Organization for Men Against Sexism (NOMAS) http://nomas.org
National Organization for Women (NOW) http://now.org
National Partnership to End Interpersonal Violence (NPEIV) https://www.npeiv.org
National Task Force to End Sexual and Domestic Violence http://www.4vawa.org
Peace Over Violence https://www.peaceoverviolence.org/
Piqui's Justice https://www.facebook.com/SeekingJusticeForPiqui/
Senator Ed Hernandez http://sd22.senate.ca.gov/
SOAR for Justice http://soarforjustice.org/
Stop Abuse Campaign http://stopabusecampaign.org
Support Network of Advocates for Protective Parents (SNAPP)
Talk About Abuse to Liberate Kids (TAALK) https://www.taalk.org
The Hofheimer Family Law Firm https://hoflaw.com/
The Leadership Council on Child Abuse and Interpersonal Violence http://www.leadershipcouncil.org
The Nurtured Parent http://nurturedparent.org
US Alliance to End the Hitting of Children http://endhittingusa.org
Wings for Justice http://wingsforjustice.com

657
Children Murdered by a Parent in Custody Situations since 2008
58,000
Children per year forced to live with their named abuser
60 to 85%
Odds of losing custody when abuse is reported
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