Announcing the Inaugural NPO Champion for Children Award Recipients
Left: Judge Mica Wood Pence; Right: Don Hubin (NPO Board Chair) and Representative Jamie Flick
The landscape of child custody law in the United States is undergoing a vital transition toward rebuttable presumptions of equal shared parenting. To honor the leaders driving this change, National Parents Organization (NPO) is thrilled to announce the creation of the Champion for Children Award.
While our annual Ned Holstein Shared Parenting Research Award recognizes academic and scientific contributions, this new award is specifically designed to honor legislators and judicial professionals who champion legal defaults protecting a child's right to maintain meaningful relationships with both parents after separation. We are incredibly proud to name Pennsylvania State Representative Jamie Flick and Kentucky Family Court Judge Mica Wood Pence as the inaugural recipients of this honor.
Representative Jamie Flick: Legislative Catalyst for Custody Reform
Representative Jamie Flick has been a relentless legislative advocate for custody reform in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Motivated by a grueling personal custody battle in which he was awarded only every-other-weekend custody without a written explanation, Rep. Flick channeled his hardship into a drive for systemic reform.
In his fight for shared parenting, he frequently highlights stark statistics: nationwide, mothers are awarded primary custody in approximately 80% of active cases, and in Pennsylvania, fathers receive an average of only 28.2% of parenting time. To combat the societal impacts of these uneven arrangements—which correlate with higher risks of youth suicide, substance abuse, and school dropouts—Rep. Flick introduced House Bill 1499. This flagship legislation establishes a rebuttable presumption of equal shared parenting time when both parents are fit and willing.
He has also successfully passed House Bill 378 (Act 11 of 2025), which streamlines custody factors and requires courts to provide written explanations to parents, providing massive assistance to self-represented individuals. To build bipartisan momentum for these common-sense reforms, he organized the landmark "Kids Need Both" policy hearing and press conference in Harrisburg in November 2025.
Judge Mica Wood Pence: Judicial Stewardship and Pragmatic Execution
While legislators like Rep. Flick build the statutory foundation for shared parenting, family court judges like Mica Wood Pence prove its real-world value. Presiding over Family Court in Kentucky’s 43rd Judicial Circuit, Judge Pence is tasked with executing Kentucky’s House Bill 528, the nation’s first rebuttable shared parenting presumption for permanent custody orders.
When the law was initially introduced, many legal professionals feared that a 50-50 default would increase courtroom contention, a worry Judge Pence admits she once shared. However, her daily experience on the bench has proven those fears unfounded. She has demonstrated that establishing an equal baseline actively reduces litigation and conflict by removing the incentive for parents to fight for "primary" status.
A fierce defender of the law, Judge Pence frequently explains how the statute protects vulnerable families by automatically lifting the presumption if an active domestic violence order is in place. Furthermore, she has gone above and beyond her judicial duties to advocate for these benefits across state lines, traveling to Pennsylvania to share her invaluable insights and real-world evidence at Rep. Flick’s "Kids Need Both" hearing.
A Shared Vision for the Future The selection of Representative Flick and Judge Pence highlights the critical relationship between drafting strong policy and pragmatically applying it in the courtroom. Together, their efforts prove that a legal presumption of shared parenting is a compassionate, practical approach that serves the best interests of children.
Please join us in congratulating Representative Jamie Flick and Judge Mica Wood Pence on this well-deserved recognition!
