Family Court Reform Shares: Tips for Grassroots Advocacy in Family Court, GAL Program

The advocacy group Family Court Reform shares tips on how to make changes, and initiate reform, in the family court system and Guardian ad Liem program through grassroots advocacy efforts: A Basic Tool Kit for Grass Roots Family Court Reform

Family Court Reform says about their reform efforts, “We grew our program, Family Court Reform by stages and degrees, learning by trial and error as we grew. 

We quickly set two fixed goals: (1)education of the public about the need for reform of family courts and Guardians ad litem, and (2) legislation to produce change. 

We feel that you can’t have legislated change for these dysfunctional systems without an enlightened, aware public that will support and push for change.  Legislation also requires that we  educate legislators about the family court and Guardian ad litem problems, and also that we help voters connect with legislators and- as constituents/voters – express their views and their wishes.”

The tips offered are broken down in easy to read suggestions, and are based on the experiences of advocates already working towards reform.

One suggestion not included in this list that I would add is to research the pertinent issues involved, and be willing to talk to or network with a broad base of people/professionals who have experience and/or knowledge on the issues.

What I appreciate about the FCR tips is that they are realistic. – Taking into account the complexity of the system problems in the family court and GAL program, reform is a challenging task that will require hard work, dedication and perseverance (it’s a long term project, progress may not happen right away but is a result of continued effort).  I also liked the positive tone of the article.

What did you think about the FCR tips for grassroots reform? Any ideas or suggestions of your own? Please post your thoughts in the comments below!

Source: https://pixabay.com. I like this picture because it reminds me of the different forces (legal system, family law professionals, family dynamic, community etc) that commonly impact a family involved in a family law dispute.