Protecting Medically Fragile Children Through Training, Reform, and Accountability
OUR MISSION
The Protective Mother Project is a survivor-led movement dedicated to ensuring the safety, dignity, and well-being of children whose voices are too often ignored in family court.
We work to expose and challenge the systemic failures that silence protective mothers, enable post-separation abuse, and endanger medically fragile or vulnerable children.
Our mission is to reform the family court system through education, accountability, and legislative change—so that no mother is punished for protecting her child, and no child is forced into unsafe or medically dangerous custody arrangements.
We advocate for:
Mandatory, evidence-based training for judges, Guardian ad Litems, and child welfare professionals on domestic violence, coercive control, trauma, and chronic childhood medical conditions.
Child-centered custody decisions that prioritize safety, medical stability, and emotional well-being over parental convenience or court neutrality.
Recognition of protective parenting as responsible, trauma-informed advocacy—not alienation, obstruction, or hysteria.
Accountability and transparency within the family court system so professionals entrusted with children’s lives understand the weight of their decisions.
Support and empowerment for protective mothers, ensuring they are believed, uplifted, and equipped to navigate a system that has historically marginalized their concerns.
We believe that protecting a child is never a crime, that a mother’s intuition is rooted in truth, and that reform is not optional—it is urgent.
The Protective Mother Project exists to transform pain into purpose, silence into advocacy, and systemic failure into lasting, life-saving change.
The Problem
GALs often make recommendations that directly influence custody, parenting time, and medical decision-making—yet may lack essential knowledge of life-threatening conditions, like Type 1 Diabetes. GALs have ZERO mandatory training requirements to perform their job & receive ZERO specialized training in chronic pediatric illnesses or medical fragility.
Without proper training, GALs may be unable to recognize incompetence or unsafe care, leading to recommendations that jeopardize a child’s health and life.
Why It Matters
Uninformed GAL recommendations can:
o Place children in homes unable to manage the illness
o Reduce essential monitoring tools
o Ignore red flags of parental incompetence
o Strip away medical safeguards
This creates a systemic child-safety risk affecting thousands of Illinois families.
The Solution
1. Require all Guardian ad Litems to complete specialized training on:
• Chronic pediatric illnesses
• Medical fragility and safety protocols
• Type 1 Diabetes management basics
• Developmental and psychological impacts of chronic illness
2. Continuing Education:
Annual ongoing education to ensure GALs remain up-to-date on medical best practices.
3. Certification Pathway:
A state-recognized designation for GALs qualified to serve medically complex children.
4. Court Appointment Standards:
Courts must assign GALs with medical training to cases involving chronic illness or medical fragility.
5. Accountability Measures:
Clear guidelines for evaluating GAL performance and ensuring child-safety standards are met.
Join Us Today
Show your support. Advocate. Spread Awareness. Stay Strong.
ADVOCATE NOW. CONTACT YOU STATE REPRESENTATIVE HERE.
Be Heard. Tell Us Your Story.
