Protecting children.
Preserving families.

Executive Director & President, People Against Parental Alienation USA, Inc.
Executive Director & President, P.A.P.A. Canada, People Against Parental Alienation
Managing Director, P.A.P.A. International

Christopher has built a coordinated international non-profit network dedicated to protecting children and parents from systemic family court failures, psychological abuse, and parental alienation.

Christopher’s path to international advocacy began with every parent’s worst nightmare. In 2016, his four-year-old son was abducted, starting a traumatic five-year separation. Navigating the ordeal with no substantial support networks or accessible resources in North America, Christopher faced brick walls at every turn. Seeking help from police and family court offices yielded no answers, while missing work to search, falling behind on bills, and attempting to afford private investigators or legal representation proved financially devastating.

Not knowing if his son was even alive, let alone his location, and scouring the internet for support with very little out there, Christopher eventually connected with Simon Cobb, the UK-based father who founded P.A.P.A. in 2016 and a true pioneer of awareness campaigns and compassionate support networks. Bonding over a shared vision to build the lifelines they both desperately lacked during their own experiences, a lifelong friendship and professional partnership was born.

When Christopher finally achieved reunification with Mason, the ordeal was far from over. Continued withholding forced Christopher into a grueling, expensive family court battle to defend his parental rights and shield his son from further emotional and mental suffering. Driven by financial strain and a lack of public guidance, Christopher launched into exhaustive self-directed research into child custody protection and family law. Determined to uncover how the justice system allowed children to be weaponized, he traveled to courthouses and government establishments across North America. He interviewed and studied judges, lawyers, court staff, and affected families. His research exposed critical cracks in the legal framework, systemic bias, a lack of due diligence, and loopholes that enabled abusive parents to weaponize children for power, control, and financial gain through government benefits and child support.

Channeling his findings into action, Christopher first joined the P.A.P.A. movement officially as a Facebook group moderator, quickly advancing to Administrator and Team Leader under Simon Cobb. Taking charge of global expansion, he assumed executive leadership in early 2024, spearheading the formation of P.A.P.A. Canada and P.A.P.A. USA and building on-the-ground support networks internationally. A fierce legislative advocate, Christopher actively drafts policy proposals and engages with government bodies to close legal loopholes that enable emotional and psychological child abuse. His key legislative milestones include authoring and submitting extensive, evidence-based legislative briefs such as the submission opposing Canadian Federal Bill C-223 to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights, drafting the proposed Neurodivergent Child Protection Act tailored to safeguard vulnerable neurodivergent children in custody disputes, and more. He also partnered with the Great Canadian Expedition to promote cross-country awareness and has worked continuously on developing state and province specific legislative amendments across North America to better protect parental rights and close gaps in family law.

Under Christopher's executive direction, P.A.P.A. has achieved unprecedented public visibility and built concrete support systems for families in crisis. In April 2026, he helped orchestrate a massive international campaign for Parental Alienation Awareness Day, successfully illuminating major global landmarks in teal. As part of this coordinated effort, Christopher secured the lighting of Niagara Falls in both New York and Ontario, while P.A.P.A. founder Simon Cobb secured the second annual lighting of the UK’s Spinnaker Tower. Both men are continuing this momentum by lighting the Falls, the Spinnaker Tower, and other sites again as an annual P.A.P.A. tradition.

Chris takes the P.A.P.A. message directly to the public year-round by appearing at parades, fairs, and car shows in the organization’s flagship ‘74 Corvette Stingray. To provide parents with accessible, strategic guidance through family court procedures, Christopher is leading the development of the custom North American P.A.P.A. Family Law Navigator and Fortitude Framework software. He also hosts and produces The PAPA Podcast, leveraging his skills in digital audio/video production to amplify survivor stories, expert insights, and strategy to a worldwide audience. Furthermore, he is developing safe contact and reunification centers, running educational seminars, and introducing pioneering mediation programs that educate alienating parents on the severe psychological harm caused to their children while helping former partners rebuild functional co-parenting relationships.

To ensure long-term, sustainable impact, Christopher maintains strict oversight to keep P.A.P.A. operating within legal boundaries within North America. He ensures all services remain fully compliant and clear of the unauthorized practice of law while collaborating with government assistance programs. He has welcomed and trained a growing team of volunteers, seasoned advocates, and team leaders across North America who have successfully facilitated numerous family reunifications, affected legislation, and produced invaluable resources and support aids.

Outside of his executive advocacy, Chris is a licensed automotive service technician specializing in advanced vehicle diagnostics and custom performance builds, running a repair service from his family hobby farm. He applies the same analytical, hands-on, problem-solving mindset to family court reform that he uses in mechanical diagnostics, repair, and innovation. Above all, Christopher is a devoted father to his young son and daughter, and his now-teenage son, sharing a bond strengthened through strength and resilience. His life's work remains focused on ensuring no parent fights for their child in the dark, and every child's right to love both parents is protected by law.

Shane Bytheway is a 57-year-old father, building contractor, and dedicated family advocate who has lived in the mountains of North Central Idaho for the past 30 years. For 29 of those years, he has worked as a building contractor, proudly building homes and communities in the place he calls home. Most notably, Shane is the father of 17 children, seven sons and ten daughters, and he is an alienated parent.

His firsthand experience as a parent has given him a profound understanding of the devastating impact that family separation and parental alienation can have on parents, children, and entire families. Shane intimately knows what it is like to fight to maintain the parent-child relationship and to navigate a system that can be incredibly difficult for ordinary people to understand and access.

Rather than remain silent, he chose to become actively involved.

Today, Shane speaks before the Idaho Legislature, collaborating with legislators to help develop and write legislation aimed at addressing critical problems within the family and child-welfare systems. He advocates for parents who are experiencing alienation, working tirelessly to help families understand their rights and navigate the heavy challenges they face.

A significant part of his work involves helping parents navigate the CPS unsubstantiation process and understand exactly what happens when allegations are investigated but are not substantiated. He firmly believes parents need meaningful access to information, fair processes, and a genuine opportunity to be heard.

Shane’s larger goal is systemic change.

He believes the judiciary should function as a true, accessible third branch of government, one that is accountable to the people and accessible to ordinary citizens, not just those who can afford extensive legal representation or who already understand the complexities of the system. He is deeply committed to advocating for transparency, due process, accountability, and the preservation of healthy parent-child relationships.

He does not do this work solely for himself. He does it for the parents who feel powerless, for the children caught in the middle, and for families who deserve an opportunity to heal.

While Shane is an alienated parent, he refuses to let that experience silence him. He will continue speaking, advocating, working with legislators, and fighting for meaningful change until parents and children have a stronger voice in the systems that affect their lives.

With nearly two decades of firsthand experience navigating the family court system, Cortney Kriss has turned her personal journey into a commitment to advocating for families and preserving healthy parent-child relationships. Her journey began in the late 2000s while establishing a parenting plan with the father of her son, born in 2005. After years of increasingly high-conflict litigation, mediation, and a Brief Focused Parenting Assessment lasting approximately five years, the parties reached a more consistent joint custody arrangement designed to provide stability and serve their child's best interests. The experience gave Cortney firsthand insight into both the emotional and financial toll of prolonged family court litigation, which cost both parents tens of thousands of dollars.

In 2020, Cortney's advocacy journey took on an even deeper meaning when she met her current fiancé, who was involved in a lengthy custody dispute regarding his youngest child. Over the next four years, she witnessed firsthand the challenges of high-conflict co-parenting, repeated false allegations, investigations, and prolonged litigation. Despite these obstacles, her fiancé remained committed to maintaining a healthy and consistent relationship with his son. Following a final trial in 2025, he was awarded joint legal and physical custody, and today their relationship is healthy and thriving.

These experiences led Cortney to seek education, resources, and support related to Idaho family courts, parental alienation, custody interference, and the importance of preserving healthy parent-child relationships. What began as a personal search for answers grew into a commitment to advocacy. She has pursued leadership and advocacy education programs to better learn how to assist other families in family court crisis.

Today, Cortney serves as Director, Secretary, and Interim Treasurer for People Against Parental Alienation USA (P.A.P.A. USA) and helps support the growth of advocacy efforts throughout Idaho and beyond. She is committed to educating families, connecting parents with resources, raising awareness about parental alienation and custody interference, and advocating for meaningful reforms within the family court system.

Her advocacy is grounded in lived experience and a simple belief: children deserve stability, safety, and the opportunity to maintain healthy relationships with both parents whenever it is safe and appropriate. Through P.A.P.A. USA, Cortney hopes to turn years of difficult personal experience into meaningful support and positive change for families who feel lost, unheard, or alone in their own journey.

Robert Youngberg serves as a Director and Director of Technology for People Against Parental Alienation USA (P.A.P.A. USA), bringing a unique analytical perspective to family court reform and parental alienation advocacy. Professionally, Robert works as a software developer automating semiconductor chip design. In the precise world of microchip engineering, a single unhandled edge case or ambiguous instruction leads to system failure. This career has instilled in him a deep appreciation for clear, accurate, and precise language that accounts for all potential scenarios, a discipline he now applies directly to legislative and judicial reform.

Robert’s dedication to this cause stems from his personal experience, having navigated severe parental alienation from his children for several years. His firsthand journey through high-conflict divorce, toxic Parent-Time Evaluations (PTEs), and ineffective reunification therapy exposed critical systemic flaws. Recognizing that vague court mandates and flawed evaluative processes put parents into adversarial competition, Robert advocates for clear, evidence-based diagnostic frameworks, such as those established by Dr. Craig Childress, alongside default 50/50 equal custody protections.

Active in grassroots and state-level advocacy, Robert has testified before an Idaho House legislative committee regarding bills developed by the state’s Child Custody Task Force. He co-organized the Parental Alienation Awareness Day event at the Idaho State Capitol alongside his wife, Kim, and fellow board member Cortney Kriss. Additionally, he works closely with PAPA leadership and other advocates to drive systemic change.

Beyond legislative action, Robert is a former Cubmaster who actively supports parents and children being abused by parents who unjustifiably withhold and/or alienate their children against the other parent as motivated by a broken, biased, and for profit family court system. He advocates for constitutional protections in family law, including Seventh Amendment jury trial safeguards before denying significant custody rights. That all forms of abuse should be investigated, including the domestic abuse of parental alienation. Through P.A.P.A. USA, Robert aims to reform policy, eliminate toxic and biased solitary effective judge based custody evaluation and reunification therapies, and protect the fundamental bond between parents and children.