Educating the Public about Children's Issues -
Hear My Voice / Protecting Our Nation's Children

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Background

In 1992, a group of young mothers, social workers, psychologists, and others began working together in Ann Arbor, Michigan, to get the courts to recognize that a local toddler named Jessica DeBoer should have the right to have her best interests considered in a court of law. This two-year-old child was in the center of a custody dispute between her adoptive parents who had raised her since birth and her biological parents whom she had never met. Traditionally, the courts had considered children to be property of their parents with no rights of their own. Best-interest hearings were not required before judges determined custody of children, and judges had little or no training in child psychology and development. Children were frequently removed from homes where they had bonded with their psychological families, and confidentiality laws prevented the public from knowing that this was happening to children.

Challenges

This group, initially known as the Justice for Jessi Committee and later organized as Hear My Voice/Protecting Our Nation’s Children, wanted to help this child get a best-interest hearing in court and to have her rights as a citizen recognized. They also wanted the American public to understand how children are frequently traumatized by the courts and how confidentiality laws prevent the public from becoming aware of these problems. This grass-roots organization had few resources and little knowledge of the media. They were also dealing with publicized challenges on the issue by a well-organized, national anti-adoption group. Largely as a result of the Justice for Jessi Committee’s work with the media, on August 2, 1992, the nation watched TV as “Baby Jessica” was transferred from her adoptive parents to her biological parents. A worldwide reaction to the transfer resulted in the formation of numerous chapters of the organization throughout the United States. The group then began its focus to help other children in similar circumstances, including the “Baby Richard” case in Illinois the following year. Since that time, major television news programs have turned to the organization for information regarding children’s rights in such custody cases. National television programs also have featured many of the children for whom the organization has advocated.

Marketing/Public Relations Solutions

Clare Communications provided the following marketing/public relations services:

• Helped the organization’s leaders develop a media list
• Taught the leaders how to write news releases, fact sheets, photo opportunity notices, and media packets
• In a “Getting Your Message Out!” seminar, trained the leaders and other volunteers how to work with the media and answer reporters’ questions
• Helped plan public rallies, occasionally working with legislators and Governor Edgar’s staff
• Developed and edited a national newsletter
• Created a 15-minute documentary about the issue which was shown at “Champions for Children,” a fund-raising event featuring Muhammad Ali

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