Educating others on the US Custody Court crisis to help protect children and women from further abuse and create a fairer and more equitable Family Court System in the US. In the United States, about 3.8% of divorces end up being contested in court, which means that both parties go in front of a Family Court judge to seek resolution. The majority of these contested cases have domestic violence, ch
ild sexual abuse, or both involved. Due to vast misinformation, outdated practices, and lack of proper instruction these cases often result in the parent trying to protect the child from further abuse losing custody of the said child to the abusive parent. Most times, the parent protecting the child/ren is a woman, a woman who has already done everything in their power to leave an abusive situation after being abused for many years. In order for these women to defend themselves, protect their children, and get decisions made that are truly in the best interest of the child, these women would have to spend several thousands of dollars which most of them do not have. These women would need to learn about the biases of the court and the practices used in order to navigate the system better. Basically, they need more information about what is happening and who is able to properly help them. The Fiorella Hidalgo Foundation was created to help these women navigate through an already biased system by educating them on their rights, referring them to attorneys that will advocate for them, and educating judges as well as court workers about these outdated practices and misinformation being used in these types of cases.
