Project STEWARDSHIP
A Father & Co. Initiative
Parents are the primary stewards of their children’s lives.
Project STEWARDSHIP exists to examine how technology, policy, and institutions are quietly reshaping childhood — often without parents’ consent or involvement.
We focus on intact families and everyday parenting decisions, asking a simple but urgent question:
Who is making choices about children — and should they be?
From social media limits and school policies to medical consent and court rulings, Project STEWARDSHIP explores how parental authority is eroded long before the child welfare system ever appears.
This project is for parents who want clarity, not panic.
Boundaries, not bans.
Responsibility, not control.
→ Read our Mission & Scope
→ Explore Project STEWARDSHIP reporting
HB 1499 Gets Its Hearing: Supporters Fill the Room, Opponents Raise Safety Concerns, No Vote Announced
House Bill 1499 in Pennsylvania proposes equal parenting time as the default in custody cases. Following a lengthy committee review, it received mixed responses with significant opposition citing concerns over domestic violence and custody fairness. While supporters emphasize its potential benefits, uncertain future votes and amendments complicate its path forward.
What “Parental Rights” Leaves Out
Defending Education’s RISE report ranks states on parental rights, focusing on school transparency and sex education laws. Tennessee and Alabama top the list, while Illinois ranks last. The report, however, neglects to address custody laws, leading to confusion about actual parental rights and relationships post-separation, highlighting discrepancies with the National Parents Organization’s ranking.
Pennsylvania’s Custody Bill Gets Its Day at the Capitol. Whether It Gets a Vote Is Another Question.
Pennsylvania’s House Bill 1499 proposes equal parenting time as the legal standard in custody cases, aiming for shared physical and legal custody near 50%. The bill emphasizes child safety considerations and requires clear evidence for any deviations. With broad bipartisan support, its future depends on the Democratic majority’s decision to advance it.
The Present Tense Problem
A Pennsylvania Superior Court ruling determined that grandparents lack custody standing if no parental custody case is currently open, even after years of a consented relationship. This decision, stemming from the McGuire case, emphasizes the significance of legal proceedings’ timeliness over the actual relationship between grandparents and grandchildren.
Signed Away
A Tampa Bay Times investigation reveals that many Hillsborough County families lose custody of children without legal representation or hearings. The report highlights over 300 cases where parents were pressured into temporary custody transfers. A proposed bipartisan bill aims to improve transparency in child separations, addressing systemic legal issues.
She Had Time to Read It
Christina Avgerinos reached out to express concern over a Medium article that mentioned her and their son Dylan, accusing the author of hypocrisy while questioning the lack of communication regarding their child. The author highlights a consistent pattern of denied visitation and communication issues, contrasting her engagement with his writings against her neglect of co-parenting…
A Custody Exchange, an AR-15, and a Father Who Fired Back
A routine Florida custody exchange erupted in gunfire when authorities say the mother’s boyfriend opened fire with an AR-style rifle. The father fired back. The children escaped unharmed. And the case exposes a blind spot even Florida’s safe-exchange law may not solve.
The Narrative Nobody Fact-Checks
A recent tabloid story about Brad Pitt explores how narratives surrounding custody disputes can be reshaped over time. It emphasizes discrepancies between Pitt’s past admissions of drinking problems and the anonymous claims blaming his ex-wife Angelina Jolie. The complexities of custody arrangements and public perceptions are also examined.
When the System Moves Fast for Custody and Slow for Everything Else
Years after Russell Ashford pleaded guilty to brutally assaulting Antoinette Forbes, restrictions on him steadily loosened. Now Forbes is missing, Ashford faces seven firearms charges, and a family court has again been forced to confront custody of their son.
A $21 Million Verdict Didn’t Give Cynthia Hayek Her Kids Back
A jury awarded Cynthia Hayek and Kenneth Hamp more than $21 million after finding that false abuse allegations helped cost Hayek her children. The judgment survived appeal. What remains unclear is whether the custody system ever gave her relationship with them back.