We are Mommy’s Heart, Inc

There has been a shift in the way that custody is awarded in family court cases, moving away from a paradigm that automatically favored mothers due to growing recognition that fathers can also be primary caregivers and that both parents should have the opportunity to be actively involved in their children's lives.

However, it is important to note that this shift has not necessarily resulted in a decrease in the use of tactics, such as false allegations of abuse, neglect, or parental alienation, by abusers, who use the legal system as a way to continue controlling and harassing their victims, even after the relationship has ended. It is unfortunately common for abusers to use the family court system as a weapon against domestic abuse survivors, particularly when children are involved. This can include filing multiple motions or requesting numerous court hearings, as well as making false accusations or manipulating the child in an attempt to gain custody.

The use of the legal system as a means of abuse is especially harmful on the children, as it can have a damaging impact on their well-being and their relationship with their parents. In extreme cases (ie: Thomas Valva, Kyra Franchetti), children have died after being forced to live with their abusive parent when judges ignore the evidence of violence. In other cases, children have suffered serious emotional and psychological effects (PTSD, suicidal ideation, drug abuse, criminality, etc.) after being separated from his/her primary caregiver. It is important for domestic abuse survivors to have access to resources and support to help them navigate the family court system and protect themselves and their children from further abuse.

We have secured the commitment from attorneys who have the knowledge and capability in custody matters involving intimate partner violence, child abuse and neglect, financial and legal abuse, and interference with parental rights, to volunteer their time to assist those in need. While our attorneys are highly experienced and educated, they are donating their time and services at no charge or at a fraction of their normal rate so that our organization can remain committed to ensuring no parent ever receives a bill from us for the services we provide.

As breaking free from family court shackles can be an uphill battle, our team of mental health experts, including licensed social workers, psychologists, and psychiatrists, as well as holistic practitioners, are available to provide our parents with talk therapy, medication management, emotional support, advocacy, education, therapeutic retreat opportunities, support groups, and other individual and group therapy services and activities. For our children, we provide age-appropriate therapeutic opportunities, such as play therapy, field trips, athletics, art workshops, and more. 

What Sets Us Apart

This Foundation was established by a mother facing the same challenges our organization is addressing. Her journey through the very broken family court system inspired her to help other parents experiencing similar nightmares and work toward impactful reform. Our focus is to protect the parental rights of fit parents and combat the weaponization of the court system by abusers at the expense of innocent children. We are operated by a team of parents, medical and mental health experts, and legal representatives and mentors, who have garnered specialized knowledge, experience, and wisdom from navigating a hostile family court system and have pooled their resources to help other parents from ever having to fear the loss of a child to an abuser.

Read More on the Problems Within the Family Court System

The Meaning Behind Mommy's Heart

The name, Mommy’s Heart, denotes a very personal and significant meaning. When it was time to choose a name for our organization, Mommy’s Heart immediately came to mind. After my daughter and I had been separated and our visits were relegated to one hour skype video chats during the pandemic, it was very difficult for my daughter, who was 3 at the time, to say good-bye once our time together came to a close. In an effort to maintain a sense of continuity, reassurance, comfort, and stability, I cut out a heart from a piece of yellow felt and virtually “gave” my daughter what I referred to as “mommy’s heart”. I said to her, as she was pleading for me not to leave, that as long as she holds on to mommy’s heart extra tight and keeps it in a very safe place, I will always be with her even if sometimes she cannot see me. At the beginning and end of every subsequent skype visit, my daughter would proudly show me “mommy’s heart”, which she kept in her very safe place.

We understand the process, because we have lived it. We know the pain of losing a child, and we will fight assiduously for each and every one of our children.