The tragic deaths of Cora, Dawson, and Callan Clancy have ignited a national conversation about the failures of America's crisis-care system. In response, the advocacy initiative Families Rights Matter² (FRM²) has introduced the Families Rights Matter² Act (FRM²), a first-in-the-nation reform designed to prevent similar tragedies. The Act seeks to establish standardized Crisis Safety Planning, including Crisis Circle Notification, Family Voice Requirement, HIPAA-FERPA Crisis Standards, and Child Danger Protocols.
At the heart of the FRM² Act is the recognition that families often hold critical information about a loved one's mental state but are frequently left out of the care process. The Crisis Circle Notification would create a required communication chain, ensuring families are alerted when danger signs appear. The Family Voice Requirement mandates that providers document and act on family concerns. The HIPAA-FERPA Crisis Standards would create a safe harbor for emergency information sharing during mental health emergencies, addressing the legal barriers that often prevent families from intervening.
The Child Danger Protocols would establish a legal trigger requiring safety planning when a parent shows signs of crisis, such as postpartum psychosis or suicidal ideation—factors that were present in the Clancy case. According to FRM², the current system often leaves families without the information or legal standing needed to intervene, despite clear warning signs. The Act aims to close these dangerous gaps.
FRM², founded in Kansas City, Kansas, is dedicated to protecting families during mental-health crises through policy reform, public education, and community partnership. The initiative introduces the Crisis Circle, the HIPAA-FERPA Crisis Standard, and mandatory family voice inclusion to ensure families are informed, heard, and protected. As the organization states, 'We are changing the law.' The mission is to build a safer, more compassionate crisis-care system for all families.
The Act honors the memory of the Clancy children by fighting for a system that chooses communication over silence and protection over tragedy. FRM² is calling on lawmakers to sponsor the Families Rights Matter² Act and urging citizens to contact their state legislators to demand accountability and change.
For more information, visit the FRM² website at familiesrightsmatter2.shelmireministries.org.
