Child Protection Law, Named for Seven-Year-Old Victim from Lower Makefield, Passes PA Senate
Legislation that will make Pennsylvania’s child custody stature safer has passed the state Senate. It now heads to the House, reports Bucks Local News.
She is pictured with her mother, stepfather and two half-brothers.
Image via The Philadelphia Inquirer.
It is on the docket as Bill 78. But it is more compellingly known as Kayden’s Law, named for the seven-year-old Lower Makefield Township victim who inspired it.
Jeffrey and Kathryn Mancuso, divorced, were engaged in a bitter, drawn-out battle over custody and visitation rights for daughter Kayden. In August 2018, in an act of vengeance against Kathryn, Jeffrey fatally beat the child with a barbell. He then took his own life.
Senate Bill 78 is a bipartisan effort by Senators Lisa Baker (R-20) and Steve Santarsiero (D-10) to offer formalized protections by providing:
- Safety conditions and restrictions on visitations in cases of abuse
- Judicial modification of custody decision factors
- Better training for custody-case court personnel
“We have been working so hard for years now to see this day for justice for Kayden and for all the kids who are put in harm’s way by family courts every single day,” said Kathryn Mancuso (now Sherlock).
“Kayden’s Law could have saved my daughter if it had been in place in 2018. Let’s hope it helps other children suffering and at risk right now.”
More on this story is at Bucks Local News.
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