We raise our voice to make change for all.
Safe Harbor Advocacy Initiative
A national parent-led research and policy initiative examining crisis response, service access, and legal protections for families raising children with severe attachment-related and neurobehavioral disabilities.
A core focus of this work is the development and advocacy of Safe Harbor protections for families who seek emergency medical or psychiatric care for their child due to imminent danger.
Safe Harbor principles recognize that:
- Seeking emergency care is a protective action
- Families acting in good faith should not face retaliation or criminalization
- Disability-related behaviors must not be used to deny access to care
- Crisis response systems must prioritize safety, stabilization, and coordination
- Safe Harbor advocacy aligns existing practices with federal disability and Medicaid law and seeks to prevent foreseeable harm to families and the public.
PURPOSE OF THIS INITIATIVE
Families raising children with Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) and related neurobehavioral conditions face profound challenges that remain significantly under-researched and inconsistently addressed across systems of care.
This initiative exists to:
- Document lived experiences through structured data collection
- Identify systemic patterns in crisis response and service access
- Examine the intersection of disability, Medicaid obligations, and child welfare practices
- Advocate for evidence-based policy reforms, including Safe Harbor protections for families seeking emergency care
This work is grounded in data, not anecdote. Findings are compiled in aggregate and used to inform policy, oversight, and reform efforts at both the federal and state level.
WHY THIS WORK IS NECESSARY
Preliminary data collected across multiple states indicates consistent patterns of concern, including:
- Crisis-level behaviors posing safety risks to children, siblings, and caregivers
- Barriers to accessing medically necessary emergency and stabilization services
- Retaliatory or punitive system responses following good-faith help-seeking
- Inconsistent disclosure, preparation, and post-placement support in foster and adoption contexts
These patterns raise serious questions regarding disability discrimination, Medicaid compliance, and the legal treatment of families acting to protect safety.
DATA COLLECTION & RESEARCH METHODS
We are conducting structured, voluntary, parent-reported surveys designed to capture:
- Crisis behaviors and safety risks
- System responses following emergency help-seeking
- Relational and family-wide impacts of severe attachment disorders
- Foster and adoption disclosure and preparation practices
All data is:
- Collected confidentially
- Reported only in aggregate
- Reviewed for consistency and pattern identification
- Used exclusively for research, policy analysis, and advocacy
Participation does not obligate families to legal action or public disclosure.
PARTICIPATE IN THE SURVEYS
Survey 1: Safe Harbor Family Crisis & Extreme Behavior Survey
Documents crisis behaviors, safety risks, access to emergency and stabilization services, and system responses following help-seeking.
Survey 2: Relational Harm, Coercive Manipulation & Family Impact Survey
Examines coercive relational patterns, credibility harm, and impacts on siblings and caregivers.
Survey 3: Foster & Adoption Disclosure and Preparation Survey
Documents pre-placement disclosure, training, informed consent, and post-placement supports.
JOIN THE ADVOCACY & RESEARCH TEAM
We are assembling a national advocacy and research team to support:
Data review and pattern analysis, Policy and legislative advocacy, State-level coordination, Research and documentation support. No legal or clinical background is required. Public storytelling is optional. Behind-the-scenes support is essential.
