Harrisburg, PA – Today, Pennsylvania Family Institute joined a national movement spotlighting a first of its kind Children’s Rights Scorecard exposing how laws across states impact children, entirely reshaping how public policy is viewed and crafted.
The scorecard’s release comes as the Democrat-controlled Pennsylvania House passed the controversial Uniform Parentage Act last June, legislation that would seek to further weaken children’s connection to their biological mothers and fathers by expanding intent-based parentage in state law.
The scorecard evaluates laws through a child-centered lens, focusing on children’s rights to stability, identity, and family connection. The scorecard’s website offers an interactive, easy to navigate platform where users can explore policy grades, compare issues, and clearly see where laws help or fail children.
As policy debates often fixate on economics and adult desires, this scorecard tool refocuses the conversation on what matters most: Are we putting children first?
The following statement can be attributed to Alexis Sneller, Policy Analyst with PA Family Institute:
“The Children’s Rights Scorecard is important because it brings the conversation back to the child. Every child has inherent dignity and the right to be known, loved, and connected to their mother and father whenever possible. The desires of adults should never come at the expense of children’s rights or human worth. The Children’s Rights Scorecard challenges Pennsylvania to ask whether our laws truly protect children or simply accommodate adult desires.”
The following statement can be attributed to Josue Sierra, Director of Communications at PA Family Institute:
“Children are not abstract talking points in legislative debates. They are the most vulnerable people impacted by these policies. Whether it involves parentage law, surrogacy, or the weakening of family structures, the question should always be the same: does this strengthen a child’s connection to their mother and father, or weaken it? Pennsylvania’s grade shows there is still significant work to do to ensure children’s rights are not quietly sidelined in the name of ‘progress.’”
The following statement can be attributed to Katy Faust, Founder and President of Them Before Us:
“Children are the most vulnerable members of society, and they deserve policies that protect them. For decades, we’ve passed laws that prioritize adult desires and called it ‘progress,’ while children bear the heavy cost. When lawmakers can clearly see where policies protect children and where they fail them, it creates real pressure to shift priorities and reshape laws so they truly support and uphold children’s rights.”
Additional Information
- Download the Children’s Rights Scorecard Pennsylvania State Summary Report here.
- Download the Children’s Rights Scorecard full report here
Media Contact Information
To schedule an interview with Josue Sierra, or for more information about Pennsylvania Family Institute, and our partnership with the Children’s Rights Scorecard, please contact Josue Sierra at media@pafamily.org or 202-430-0282.
If you would like more information about the Children’s Rights Scorecard and/or would like to schedule an interview with Katy Faust or a Them Before Us leader, please email at: media@thembeforeus.com
