New Professional Alliance Launches to Reform Child Safety Standards in Family Court Systems

The Professional Alliance for Child Centered Safety officially launched on September 10, 2025, as a practitioner-led network dedicated to advancing education, training and unified practice standards that prioritize the emotional, psychological and physical well-being of children. This initiative represents a critical development in family court reform, addressing long-standing concerns about how children are protected during high-conflict custody disputes and family legal proceedings.

Built to serve clinicians, attorneys, evaluators, researchers and advocates, PACCS offers members exclusive resources, ongoing education and vital opportunities for collaboration, all grounded in child-first principles and evidence-based standards. The alliance's formation responds to growing recognition that traditional family court systems often fail to adequately protect children from psychological harm and coercive control dynamics that can occur during parental conflicts.

Steven P. Lindenberg, Ph.D., founder of PACCS, explained the motivation behind the alliance: "Now, almost 50 years into private practice and thousands of hours of sworn testimony in high-conflict custody disputes, I have inspired and led like-minded advocates in turning fulfillment of my vision for advocacy for, prevention of and healing of traumatized children and their dysfunctional family systems into a shared mission represented as the Professional Alliance for Child Centered Safety."

PACCS provides members with a comprehensive suite of tools and resources designed to support ethical, trauma-informed practice. These include access to a curated research library on assessment, coercive control, psychological harm, legislation and best-practice interventions available through their platform at https://paccs.global. Members also gain exclusive attendance at practitioner-focused trainings, case rounds, panel discussions, continued education certifications and roundtables.

The alliance offers specialized programming including Weekly Lunch & Learn sessions with Lynn Brooks LMFT and a Monthly Reunification Seminar Series with Linda Gottlieb, LMFT & LCSW-R and Loretta Maase, LPC. These educational opportunities address critical gaps in professional development for those working with families in crisis. Additionally, the new PACCS Membership Circle App provides a digital platform for connecting, resource sharing, and staying updated on practice standards and reform initiatives.

This development matters because it represents a coordinated effort to standardize and elevate professional practices across multiple disciplines involved in child custody and family court matters. By establishing evidence-based standards and promoting collaboration among professionals, PACCS aims to reduce the variability in practice that can lead to inconsistent outcomes for children. The alliance's focus on trauma-informed approaches and child-first principles could significantly impact how family court professionals assess and respond to children's needs during legal proceedings.

PACCS is actively seeking founding members to help shape the future of child-first standards in family court practices. Early members will receive priority access to trainings, research insights and community leadership opportunities. The alliance also welcomes new members committed to ethical reform and collaborative practice. This practitioner-led approach ensures that standards and reforms are developed by those with direct experience in the field, potentially leading to more practical and effective interventions for protecting children in high-conflict family situations.