November 1: Los Angeles Press Conference
November 1st will go down in history as the day that a group of advocates, elected officials, and supporters came together to declare November as Family Court Awareness Month.
When the family court system fails to protect our most vulnerable members of society – they fail us all. These children are our future – yet in the family court system, they are treated like property and divided like assets.
As I reflect on yesterday‘s press conference in Los Angeles, it will go down in history (for me) as the day that held the widest range of emotions.
Absolute outrage that child safety isn’t a priority for the people who hold children’s lives in their hands; the family court system and family court professionals such as custody evaluators and minor’s counsel. When parental rights carry more weight than a child’s right to peace and safety, we have a problem. When almost 800 children have been murdered by separating or divorcing parents in the United States (since 2008), something needs to change. These children were failed by the family court system.
Awe and gratitude for the group of volunteers who came together to make this happen. I could not have done this alone.
More heartbreak, mixed with gratitude and respect for Jacqueline Franchetti and Ana Estevez. In their unfathomable pain, they are fierce warriors for children - yours and mine.
And HOPE because of elected officials like Senator Susan Rubio and Assemblywoman Blanca Rubio (and Congresswoman Judy Chu who sent us a statement of support but could not be present) - their support and recognition of our mission leaves me with more hope than I’ve had in a very long time.
If you missed the press conference, you can still watch it through our live stream recording.
And now, we head to the Grand Canyon to take a few deep breaths.
Next stop: Little Rock, Arkansas on November 6, 2020
