North Hempstead Town Supervisor Jennifer DeSena was joined by town officials, as well as New York State Senator Jack Martins and Assemblywoman Gina Sillitti, to raise awareness for Kyra’s Law, a bill proposed in New York State that would protect the rights of children caught in custody and visitation battles.
The law is being advocated by Jacqueline Franchetti, whose young daughter Kyra was tragically killed by her abusive father during an unsupervised, court-sanctioned visit. Franchetti is the founder of Kyra’s Champions, an organization that seeks policy changes that promote and protect children and families at risk for family violence.
Officials joined Kyra’s Champions at Mary Jane Davies Green in Manhasset, where 760 pinwheels were planted to represent the number of children murdered due to failures by the family court system or Child Protective Services. The pinwheels were also planted in conjunction with the Pinwheels for Prevention Project, which is designed to raise awareness for child abuse prevention.
For more information on Kyra’s Law and Kyra’s Champions, visit www.kyraschampions.org.
—Submitted by Town of North Hempstead
