With Gratitude
The Heart of a Movement is possible because of the courage, persistence, and collective work of people who have spent decades advocating for the safety of children and families.
This gathering honors those who helped build this movement, those who carried the work forward, and those who continue it today.
ACKNOWLEDGE
HONORING OUR PIONEERS
We stand on the shoulders of those who came before us.
Long before many of today’s reforms, pioneers in this movement were asking difficult questions, challenging accepted practices, conducting research, educating professionals, supporting families, organizing communities, and bringing attention to the experiences of children and protective parents in family court.
Amy Neustein, Ph.D.
Robert Geffner, P.h
Barry Goldstein, J.D.
Connie Valentine, M.S.
Eileen King
Geraldine Stahly, Ph.D.
Jeffrey Edleson, Ph.D
Joan Meier, J.D.
Joan Zorza, J.D.
Kim Robinson, J.D.
*With gratitude, we honor:
Lundy Bancroft
Maralee McLean
Mo Hannah, Ph.D.
Nancy Erikson, J.D.
Nancy Lemon, J.D.
Phyllis Chester, Ph.D.
Richard Decote, J.D.
Seth Goldstein, J.D.
These names represent some of the people whose work helped shape and advance this movement. We also honor the many others whose names may not appear here, but whose courage, scholarship, advocacy, leadership, and persistence helped build the foundation upon which we stand today. *If you are aware of a pioneer that we may have missed, please email us!
Some worked publicly. Others worked quietly behind the scenes.
They researched. They wrote. They taught. They organized. They testified. They advocated. They challenged systems. They supported families.
And they continued to bring the conversation back to the question at the heart of this work:
Is this child safe?
TO ALL WHO ADVOCATE FOR CHILD SAFETY
Our gratitude extends far beyond any list of names.
To every protective parent who spoke up for a child.
To the adult children and survivors who found the courage to tell their stories.
To the advocates who stood beside families when they felt alone.
To the researchers and professionals who challenged assumptions, asked difficult questions, and expanded our understanding.
To the attorneys, lawmakers, journalists, educators, organizations, volunteers, and allies who have worked to make child safety a priority in child custody cases.
And to every person who continues to show up, speak out, support families, pursue reform, and work toward a family-court system in which the safety and well-being of children remain at the center:
We see you. We thank you. We honor your work.
VOLUNTEER TEAM
With special thanks to the people who brought The Heart of a Movement together.
Special thank you to our partners, UC Irvine Initiative to End Family Violence and The Barron Foundation
Honoring Our Pioneers • Celebrating Our Victories • Carrying the Movement Forward
Sandy Ross
Event Creator
Adrienne Martinez
Graphics & Website
Lily Schwark
Zoom Producer & Technical Coordination
Susie Cordova Rose
Project Coordination & Event Support
Trisha Weeks
Outreach & Event Support
Samantha Orcasitas
Event Planning & Marketing Consultant
Our heartfelt thanks also go to everyone who will take the time to contribute photographs, videos, memories, ideas, outreach, technical assistance, encouragement, and countless acts of support to make this gathering possible.
THE HEART OF A MOVEMENT
This event is created by advocates and survivors as an independent gathering to honor our history, celebrate what has been accomplished, and inspire the work still ahead.