Battered Women, Abused Children, and Child Custody: A National Crisis was created in 2003 by two mothers, Mo Therese Hannah, Ph.D. (Chair) of Latham, NY, and Liliane Heller Miller (Vice-Chair) of Charlotte, NC.  Our on-going goal is to host a national public forum to address the many complex issues facing battered women and their advocates as they strive to protect themselves and their children in and out of family court.

     The format of the conference continues to develop, along with the growing body of scholarly research and information documenting the rampant civil, legal, due process, and human rights violations of domestic violence victims and their children by family courts across the country.  It includes presentations, round-table discussions, and question & answer sessions with nationally distinguished attorneys, researchers, writers, and mental health professionals, as well as domestic violence survivors and their children.  We also seek to foster healing and support for the thousands of mothers, children, attorneys and other supporting professionals whose lives are being adversely affected by this issue on a daily basis.

      Battered Women, Abused Children, and Child Custody: A National Crisis is a self-sustaining, grassroots phenomenon that is entirely the volunteer work product of it's creators and presenters.   We have no paid staff, nor are we financially supported by or affiliated with any particular group, organization, gender-based ideology, or political agenda.

     The conference is open to lay persons and is of special interest to advocates, social workers, psychologists, attorneys, judges, legal personnel, and others concerned with the civil, constitutional, and human rights violations of battered women and their children occurring in family courts nationwide.

The Conference includes presentations, round-table discussions, and question & answer sessions with nationally-distinguished professionals whose work is focused on resolving the complex issues facing battered women as they strive to protect themselves and their children in and out of court during custody and visitation disputes.  It is open to lay persons, and of special interest to advocates, social workers, psychologists, attorneys, judges, legal personnel, and others involved in the issue of battered women's and abused children's legal and civil rights violations by family courts, DSS, and other government systems.

Liliane Heller Miller
Co-Founder and Vice Chair