Mission

To raise awareness in the general public, and at the highest levels of government and judiciary, of the link between witnessing a parental arrest and child traumatic stress with the purpose of effecting judicial and legislative change to protect American children.

Key Proposals

Upstream intervention in the chain of command in issuing a warrant. Judge to consider summons or location/time without children present.
Implement two question protocol before issuing a warrant.
Raise judicial awareness of the negative effects of witnessing parental arrest by contacting chief judges of each state.
Establish legislation requiring judges to inquire about the risk of exposing children to a witnessed parental arrest

Child Traumatic Stress

Children who suffer from child traumatic stress are those who have been exposed to one or more traumas over the course of their lives and develop reactions that persist and affect their daily lives after the events have ended. It’s important to note that traumatic experiences can set in motion a cascade of changes in children’s lives that can be challenging and difficult. These can include changes in where they live, where they attend school, who they’re living with, and their daily routines.

About Me

At 10 years of age, 10 FBI and NYPD detectives entered my home at 545am on a school day to arrest my father. Both my 5 year old sister and I witnessed the entire process. The nightmares, fear of loud noises and anxiety that followed were tied into PTSD from that experience. As I researched this diagnosis, I learned that I was not alone and that millions of children have been needlessly exposed to a traumatic experience that can easily be prevented or averted. This drove me to start a journey of advocacy to protect other children from this trauma.

Witnessing
Parental Arrest

The National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative (NCTSI) was spearheaded in 2000, as part of the Children’s Health Act, to address mental health issues in children that arise from traumatic experiences. Child traumatic stress, PTS and PTSD are known to arise from a vast array of childhood traumatic experiences.

Effecting Change

Initiative to Prevent child traumatic stress

We hear so much about preventive healthcare and the need for regular check ups, mammograms and immunizations. Here we have an opportunity to use those same preventive strategies to keep children from unnecessarily experiencing the pain of witnessing a parental arrest. The following are interventions which can be explored to effect change.