November 2021: Family Court Awareness Month

WHEREAS, the purpose of Family Court Awareness Month is to increase awareness of the importance of a family court system that prioritizes child safety, recognizes the unique circumstances and needs of each child, and that makes decisions based on the best interest of each child; and,

WHEREAS, this month, we recognize the importance of education and training on domestic violence, childhood trauma, and post separation abuse for all professionals and judges working within the family court system; and,

WHEREAS, we must also educate judges and other family court professionals on the proper application of existing laws regarding children to ensure that the children's best interests are first and foremost in every decision made by a Family Court; and,

WHEREAS, we must further educate judges and other family court professionals on the empirical data and research that is currently available; such research is a critical component to educating the decision makers regarding the best interests of children. This research includes The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study (CDC-Kaiser Permanente), Saunder's Study (Us Department of Justice), The Meier Study: Child Custody Outcomes in Cases Involving Abuse Allegations, and the Santa Clara Law Study (Confronting the Challenge of High-Conflict Personality in Family Court); and,

WHEREAS, during Family Court Awareness Month, the state of Michigan seeks to educate the public, continue to improve the family court system, and honor over one hundred children in the United States who were murdered by a parent after a custody court rejected the other parent's plea for protection;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Gretchen Whitmer, governor of Michigan, do hereby proclaim November 2021 as Family Court Awareness Month in Michigan.