https://www.daniellepollack.com/home daily 1.0 2024-03-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bdb2c019f87707159e1d46b/1541450319243-C20H8XMB4YTCE99C7FVW/girl-447701_1920.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bdb2c019f87707159e1d46b/1587227685975-KYFY1T66WUSI0JDFDKN1/image0.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bdb2c019f87707159e1d46b/1541439614498-P7VQWO9WAA2HW2OADLVZ/child-807547_1920.jpg Home - About Find out more about legislation, research and resources, trusted collaborators, events, and the results of advocacy. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bdb2c019f87707159e1d46b/1541442326042-763HBO43KW6MLE65CUJ4/hand-505277_1920.jpg Home - Take Action Ready to take the next step? You can become a financial contributor to the cause, reform laws in your state, or call for a personal consultation. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bdb2c019f87707159e1d46b/1541442694420-TXMV5TJIJY973RV0JU9Y/children-1149671_1920+%281%29.jpg Home Children everywhere are counting on you. Contact us for press inquiries, to find out how you can help advance the movement, for consultation on reforming your state’s custody laws, to inquire about speaking fees, or set up a personal consultation. https://www.daniellepollack.com/contact daily 0.75 2021-09-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bdb2c019f87707159e1d46b/1581480511002-3SU1EUZ0RIZ0KCQG6A6P/IMG_8313.jpg Contact https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bdb2c019f87707159e1d46b/1581464850356-9JXVNBJVZ8HTBFLU8H48/IMG_8308.jpg Contact - REACH OUT REACH OUT - Danielle Pollack with Senator Bob Casey at the announcement of his Children’s Five Freedoms agenda, Philadelphia, February 2020. https://www.daniellepollack.com/what-we-do daily 0.75 2024-03-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bdb2c019f87707159e1d46b/1541443418013-90NHBORON0STDNZJFROE/children-817365_1920.jpg What We Do https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bdb2c019f87707159e1d46b/ddb65180-8e29-45c2-b1dd-ce266ca256d9/8D7D1683-9FFF-497B-ADA2-27FC44178C77.jpeg What We Do - Make it stand out © United Nations Press Provided expert consultation for the UNSRVAW Report Child Custody, Violence Against Women and Violence Against Children, which was then presented to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, 2023. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bdb2c019f87707159e1d46b/f5c3b8f8-deb4-4929-9286-56c1352220a2/33C30831-DF9D-4C33-8E9F-C3B01EAF51E8_1_201_a.jpeg What We Do - Make it stand out © Getty Images, Alex Wong Originated, co-drafted, and successfully shepherded through U.S. Congress the landmark Keeping Children Safe From Family Violence Act (aka “Kayden’s Law”), enacted in 2022 as part of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). Pictured at the White House signing is Danielle Pollack, right, with President Biden and Kathy Sherlock, Kayden’s mother, left. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bdb2c019f87707159e1d46b/1541443682899-L7MUY0RA3GI3I6BHG8O8/boy-2229195_1920.jpg What We Do Join our effort. Children are counting on you. Child Abuse and the Criminal, Civil, and Family Courts - CLE Program General Overview This essential 6-credit CLE course with keynote address by Michelle Henry, First Deputy Attorney General, brings together leading national and local experts on child abuse, child protection, and the courts. It is hosted by the think tank for child protection, CHILD USA, and designed in collaboration with the Offices of the Bucks County District Attorney and County Commissioner. It will review the latest research and provide evidence-based approaches to protecting children in the criminal, civil, and family court contexts. Special focus will be trained on cases involving intrafamilial abuse, especially child sex abuse. National research shows that state family courts have struggled to evaluate reports of child abuse and domestic violence, including the appropriate burdens of proof. Admissibility standards often dip below those required in the criminal and civil court systems. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, reports that four-fifths (79.3%) of all child fatalities involve an abusive parent. According to the Administration for Children & Families’ most recent report, there were over 4,000 confirmed child victims of abuse or neglect in Pennsylvania, which is an 18.2% increase from 2014. Of these children, 38.5% were physically abused and 50.4% were sexually abused, with youngest children under the age of 8 being the most vulnerable. A new national study from George Washington University School of Law by Joan Meier reveals in its preliminary findings that in contested custody cases where abuse is alleged, the parent who is an alleged child sex abuser is winning over the safe parent 81% of the time; this is despite research confirming intentionally fabricated allegations of intrafamilial child sex abuse are under 14%. In practice, the system is not working in the best interests of the child. This forum will be an opportunity for people serious about systemic reform on behalf of vulnerable children to share knowledge and build more effective systems of analysis and legal protection in Pennsylvania. Opening Remarks: Matthew D. Weintraub, Esq., Bucks County District Attorney KEYNOTE SPEAKER Michelle A. Henry, Esq., First Deputy Attorney General for the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General PANELS Panel I: Child Sex Abuse Moderator: Professor Marci Hamilton, Fox Professor of Practice, University of Pennsylvania, CEO & Academic Director, CHILD USA Speakers: Joyanna Silberg, PhD, Psychologist, Sheppard Pratt Health System, Executive VP of Leadership Council on Child Abuse & Interpersonal Violence James Carpenter, Prosecutor, Former Chief of Family Violence & Sexual Assault Unit at Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office Dr. Steven Berkowitz, MD, Child Traumatologist and Director Penn Center for Youth & Family Trauma Response and Recovery When a parent is an alleged child sex abuse perpetrator, courts are faced with the challenging task of balancing traditional parental rights with the evolving concept of individual children’s rights. Many of these contests play out in the family courts, especially custody cases. Complicating the issue is how “best interest” is interpreted, with the maintenance of the parent-child relationship often taking importance over claims of physical or sexual abuse. As we have seen in other settings such as churches, schools, and sports, many factors work in tandem to silence child victims and stymie their protectors. The family context can operate under a unique set of “closed system” factors that tend to silence child victims. This panel will address those factors, among others. Panelists will address trends, approaches, and resources both locally and nationally; available options, weighing the pros and cons of each; and practical parameters for practitioners and the courts. Panel II: Custody and Visitation Moderator: Judge Flora Becker, Family Court Judge (ret.) Speakers: Barbara Price, Former Executive Director, New Jersey Coalition to End Domestic Violence Brad Jackman, Esq., Solicitor for Bucks County Children and Youth Social Services Joyana Silberg, PhD, Psychologist, Sheppard Pratt Health System, Executive VP of Leadership Council on Child Abuse & Interpersonal Violence Family courts are trained to view time-sharing or joint custody as the gold standard for child placement, and inherently in the best interests of the child. This approach can favor a shared parenting model above all other considerations, at times sacrificing child safety. An empirical study of six states by Allison Morrill of the Capacities and New England Research Institutes found that court preferences for joint custody and the so-called “friendly parent” principle outweighed judicial consideration of abuse claims. In addition, in some cases, a safe parent can lose custody to the alleged abusing parent due to a claim of “parental alienation syndrome” (PAS) or “parental alienation” (PA). Although PAS does not meet legal admissibility standards in criminal and civil courts, and PA is widely challenged in the scientific community and has never been tested, PAS - and variations of it under other names - remains the most common, and successful, defense in family courts. Panelists will explore how courts can and should balance these competing interests when making custody determinations. Panel III: Qualifying Experts Moderator: Diane Ellis-Marseglia, LCSW, Bucks County Commissioner Speakers: Dr. Steven Berkowitz, MD, Child Traumatologist and Director Penn Center for Youth & Family Trauma Response and Recovery Dr. Philip V. Scribano, DO, MSCE at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP,) Director Safe Place: The Center for Child Protection and Health Matthew S. Lannetti, Esq, Deputy District Attorney Bucks County, Special Victims Unit Erika Goettler, MA, Child Forensic Interview Specialist, Bucks County Children's Advocacy Center As children are often prohibited from testifying due to a combination of factors, including a desire to protect minors, competency determinations, and many others, courts turn to experts to provide testimony regarding what is in the child’s best interests. Competency determinations often prevent a child from testifying, despite the fact that the child is often the witness with first-hand knowledge of the facts. Competency assessment standards are rarely adjusted for a child’s developmental stage. Experts may therefore be substituted for child victim testimony in the courtroom. As a result, a largely unregulated cottage industry of family court experts has grown, without clearly defined national or even statewide standards. The increase in the use of expert witnesses, along with a tendency of some courts and precedents to relax the rules of evidence in the family courts raises questions on how to best meet vulnerable children’s needs. For adult expert testimony to have value in the courts it must fulfill the criteria for admissibility of the jurisdiction in which the proceeding is taking place. Forensic interviewing techniques as well as custody evaluation methodology should meet admissibility standards. The two evidentiary standards for expert scientific testimony are the Frye standard and Daubert standard. The prevailing standard in the past, the Frye standard, rests on what is called a “general acceptance” standard. It is no longer dominant. In contrast, Daubert, embraced by over 40 states, requires that the court establish the scientific validity of the testimony. Pennsylvania is one of the few remaining states to continue to adhere to the Frye standard of admissibility for scientific evidence, as opposed to Daubert (or Federal Rule of Evidence 702). This panel will explore how these experts are and should be qualified in family, civil, and criminal courts (in the Commonwealth and federally) including the specific challenges faced in each. Interactive roundtable with panel moderators Closing Remarks https://www.daniellepollack.com/costofabuse daily 0.75 2021-10-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bdb2c019f87707159e1d46b/1541443491892-YUAU6KXBVW20TLZOP653/mother-10516_1920.jpg Cost of Abuse https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bdb2c019f87707159e1d46b/1541447370407-N62FUDU0ONH142PSCHP2/mothers-love-1317804_1920.jpg Cost of Abuse https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bdb2c019f87707159e1d46b/1541447837543-BO6FQPL1D7SBGICW0TUG/baby-2859627_1920.jpg Cost of Abuse https://www.daniellepollack.com/legislation daily 0.75 2025-10-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bdb2c019f87707159e1d46b/1541457913314-RXFSDK2E7BS82I51PTMS/child-1797637_1920.jpg Legislation and Resources https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bdb2c019f87707159e1d46b/f52604e9-ac36-4467-9ffd-4fe411a135d7/D6181380-0CF6-4435-BEA6-3AC3E01A689F_1_201_a.jpeg Legislation and Resources - Make it stand out After years of work to reach this moment, Kayden’s mom (Kathy Sherlock) and Danielle Pollack share a look before President Biden at the historic signing and inclusion of Kayden’s Law in the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) at the White House, March 16, 2022. © Getty Images, Alex Wong https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bdb2c019f87707159e1d46b/1616189580537-B8QX8ZB3DOPPAERYPCYT/VAWAReAuth2021KL.jpg Legislation and Resources https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bdb2c019f87707159e1d46b/1594679379553-JPXP6PUJC9L5EE6FWZBH/IMG_3176.jpg Legislation and Resources *image by Canadian Centre for Child Protection https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bdb2c019f87707159e1d46b/8d89b76c-2a25-475c-96bc-8012d29135a1/NSPOlogoSingleSlide.png Legislation and Resources - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.daniellepollack.com/partners daily 0.75 2024-10-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bdb2c019f87707159e1d46b/1541443559675-49UZJWOQ1IPAFBVYNWJK/baby-499976_1920.jpg Collaborations https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bdb2c019f87707159e1d46b/1622046612286-6QF2YECWTZKBTLFERM1V/NFVL_GW_logo_FINAL-01.png Collaborations https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bdb2c019f87707159e1d46b/1571073581214-80HK812DMU5985F58U80/CHILD+USA+logo.png Collaborations https://www.daniellepollack.com/voices-for-reform-film daily 0.75 2026-03-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bdb2c019f87707159e1d46b/1581473695646-7TNZSJBIZBHCHUQIDXOD/VoicesForReformStat2.jpg Voices for Reform Film - Voices for Reform A short documentary film by Danielle Pollack & Peter Sasowsky https://www.daniellepollack.com/in-the-news daily 0.75 2025-10-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bdb2c019f87707159e1d46b/3ec458a1-80fc-46f1-bfee-d9ed0ea2a27b/506742622_10230850360381928_5689178011426692925_n.jpeg In the News - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bdb2c019f87707159e1d46b/a3654028-6000-4cdf-bc60-650a11bf6cc6/IMG_2666.jpg In the News Danielle Pollack speaks to NPR Utah on policy objectives and reforms, which in 2024 led to Utah’s enactment of “Om’s Law” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bdb2c019f87707159e1d46b/ea9f0a6d-1f80-4179-830c-63d9e953825c/9C4B30DC-B3FD-47AD-BE3A-631D1F7B86CA.jpg In the News - Make it stand out (c) Scripps National, The Denver Channel https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bdb2c019f87707159e1d46b/1617199972746-WR0ZP3G556YT11SZLKAG/FC389D3D-02AE-460A-81CB-C721AFED15C6_1_201_a.jpeg In the News Dylan Farrow's claims of sexual abuse by Woody Allen have remained consistent since age 7 Op-Ed by Professor Joan Meier and Danielle Pollack, March 2021 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bdb2c019f87707159e1d46b/1588960695834-X9RVVEJ7ASH31F6WRIJL/IMG_0776.jpg In the News https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bdb2c019f87707159e1d46b/1581462205082-FKCDKQF3PX6X31PAEL78/IMG_7746.PNG In the News Evan Stark and Danielle Pollack https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bdb2c019f87707159e1d46b/1581461579789-LB2FOYLOYUZDVE6H9D6F/image4.png In the News Danielle Pollack (video) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bdb2c019f87707159e1d46b/1581463018615-PG0LJXU565CPO60TDLXU/IMG_8325.jpg In the News Danielle Pollack (Oct 2019 video) https://www.daniellepollack.com/home-alt-bedford daily 0.75 2025-05-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52a74d9ae4b0253945d2aee9/1390500612440-PGQSIY8KL9F7T5VIXQLO/chambers-2.jpg Home Alt A better world Starts with a choice Contact Us https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52a74d9ae4b0253945d2aee9/1390500503574-5BAPXZO9U06UV61P49UO/chambers1.jpg Home Alt Sustainability Starts with you Join Us https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52a74d9ae4b0253945d2aee9/1390500933384-LII4SRIPHFYOUFX0UCXC/chambers-4.jpg Home Alt A better world Starts with a choice Join Us https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52a74d9ae4b0253945d2aee9/1390504287124-HQ8GNX1JCE22V047MSQ9/chambers-8.jpg Home Alt Preserve Nature Join Us