A targeted parent in Florida recently contacted her State Senator – not national Senator; her State Senator in Tallahassee, Florida – regarding the State Senator’s willingness to possibly sponsor legislation at the state level to address the pathology of “parental alienation.” After receiving a positive response from her State Senator, this parent contacted me for my input on a legislative approach to solving “parental alienation.”
In my view, a legislative approach is appropriate and it should target obtaining a minor one-sentence addition to the child abuse reporting laws in each state that specifically identifies pathogenic parenting as a form of psychological child abuse that would be reportable under child abuse reporting laws.
A single sentence added to the child abuse reporting laws regarding pathogenic parenting as a form of psychological child abuse reportable under the child abuse reporting laws would be immensely helpful in moving the pathology of “parental alienation” out of the non-responsive court system over to the child protective services system (where it belongs), and would go a long way to solving the family tragedy of “parental alienation.”
In support of this parent’s efforts in Florida, I wrote a letter to the parent and legislative aide for the State Senator describing my recommendation for a legislative approach to addressing the pathology of “parental alienation” as a child protection rather than a child custody issue. I have posted a copy of this letter to my website as an example for other targeted parents who may also want to explore a legislative option with their own state legislators. This letter is on my website at the very-very bottom (so it’s easy to find); the last resource on the page, just below the domestic violence support letter. A direct link to the letter for a Legislative Proposal for Amending Child Abuse Reporting Laws is:
Legislative Support Letter for Amending Child Abuse Reporting Laws
Targeted parents nationwide may wish to consider contacting your individual state legislators to see if they are willing to entertain the idea of sponsoring legislation to add a single sentence to the child abuse reporting laws regarding pathogenic parenting as a form of psychological child abuse which would be reportable under state law. If you receive a positive response and believe that the letter on my website might be helpful in your lobbying efforts, I’d be more than happy to address a similar letter to you and the legislative aide who will be handling your request made to the legislator. Just email me as to how I should address the letter, and if you could look up the specific wordings of your particular state’s child abuse reporting laws that would be helpful.
I’m a psychologist. I am not a lawyer, nor am I a political animal. I’m a psychologist. So a legislative approach is up to you to make happen. But I’m willing to do what I can to support any legislative effort to amend child abuse reporting laws to indicate that pathogenic parenting is a reportable form of psychological child abuse under state child abuse reporting laws.
Craig Childress, Psy.D.
Clinical Psychologist, PSY 18857
Dr. Craig Childress: Attachment Based "Parental Alienation" (AB-PA) 
Dr. Childress, you have made another fine effort in the battle against parental alienation. I will contact my state representatives in NJ
Senator Geraldine Thompson is campaigning for a seat in the House of Representatives in the United States Congress. From Florida to the Capital Hill. This is no small victory.
I want to work with others to get California to adopt this. If you do too, you can contact me at seaweed77@outlook.com
The National Alliance for Targeted Parents has been working with parents and state child abuse laws for some time now and have a section devoted to this on the website. We have found that the state laws concerning child psychological are adequate and even quite well suited to our families. We have also posted a letter parents can use that bridges the current language in state statutes with the 3 diagnostic indicators for child psychological abuse. They are particularly useful for school employees, many or all of whom are mandatory reporters and respected members of the community. I will post another blog on our site. If you do not receive our blogs it is because you haven’t joined the Alliance. And every targeted parent and supported
needs to join the Alliance! Then the updates come right to your email. There is a red and black box at the bottom of every page on the website (www.targetedparents.com) for you to sign up.