When Annie Kenny discovered that her ex-husband was abusing her eldest daughter, it took four years in family court to get a no-contact order from a judge.
“Our case involved complex issues of child sexual abuse, grooming, signs of childhood trauma, and the long-term effects of trauma on children, just to name a few,” Kenny told state lawmakers last month. “But not a single individual in the courtroom during our numerous hearings was trained on any of these topics.”
Kenney, of Mechanicsville, shared her story on Jan. 28 before the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee, where lawmakers were considering legislation to mandate specialized training for child custody evaluators.
Primary sponsor Sen. Mary Beth Carozza said the measure, Senate Bill 25, will support the safety and well-being of children involved in custody proceedings that may involve domestic violence and child abuse allegations.
In a contested custody or visitation case, Maryland judges may appoint a custody evaluator to assess the best interests of a child. Carozza’s bill says those evaluators must be licensed and board-certified psychiatrists, psychologists, clinical therapists, or certified social workers.
Just like the federal to government. All these people employed an nobody doing anything.