Survivors Deserve to Be Heard. Children Deserve to Be Protected. It’s Time for Colorado to Do Better.

I’m a domestic violence survivor, a mother, and an advocate for families who deserve to be safe, supported, and heard.

My experience with domestic violence did not end when the abuse ended. For the past four years, I’ve been fighting to maintain and rebuild my relationship with my children while navigating Colorado’s family court system without an attorney, while their father has been represented by counsel.

I’ve had to navigate the legal system while healing from trauma, advocating for myself, and trying to remain present in my children’s lives. My experience has shown me how important it is for survivors to have access to people and systems that understand the realities of domestic violence and the long-term effects of trauma.

I know my story is not the only one. Across Colorado, survivors face the challenge of seeking help, navigating complicated legal processes, and trying to protect their children while rebuilding their lives.

I am asking Colorado to strengthen protections for domestic violence survivors and their children, beginning with comprehensive, trauma-informed training for first responders and a broader commitment to survivors.

Our fight for justice starts in our community, but the change we need must reach across Colorado.

I am calling on Greeley City Council, Weld County officials, Colorado state legislators, and community leaders to stand with domestic violence survivors who are navigating family court without legal representation.

I have spent four years fighting my own family court battle without an attorney. As a survivor of domestic violence, I know firsthand how exhausting and overwhelming it can be to navigate a complicated legal system while fighting for your children.

But this isn’t just about my story. It’s about every survivor who has been unable to afford an attorney, every parent who has struggled to navigate court procedures alone, and every family that deserves a fair opportunity to be heard.

I am asking our local leaders to take action.

I urge Greeley City Council and Weld County officials to:

• Publicly support efforts to improve access to justice for domestic violence survivors.
• Explore local funding, partnerships, and resources that help survivors obtain legal assistance.
• Consider adopting a resolution supporting stronger protections and meaningful access to legal representation.
• Work with survivor advocates and community organizations to identify gaps in existing services.
• Help bring survivors’ concerns to the attention of state lawmakers. I recognize that Colorado already has laws and programs intended to protect survivors. The question is whether those protections are sufficient and whether survivors can meaningfully access them when they need help the most.

We must look beyond what exists on paper and examine what happens in practice.

This is not about special treatment. It is about access to justice.

No survivor should be left believing that their ability to navigate a family court case depends entirely on whether they can afford an attorney.

I am asking Greeley, Weld County, and Colorado’s elected leaders to listen, collaborate, and help turn these concerns into meaningful action.

I am one voice, but together we can make that voice harder to ignore.

Please sign and share this petition. Help us bring this conversation to the people who have the power to make a difference.

WHAT NEEDS TO CHANGE

1. Require comprehensive, trauma-informed domestic violence training for first responders.

First responders should receive standardized training on trauma responses, coercive control, psychological abuse, intimidation, and the complex dynamics of abusive relationships. Survivors should be treated with dignity, and reports of abuse should be handled professionally, fairly, and with an understanding of trauma.

2. Strengthen protections for survivors experiencing abuse after separation.

Leaving an abusive relationship does not always mean the abuse ends. Colorado should continue evaluating how its laws, policies, and procedures address coercive control, intimidation, harassment, and other forms of abuse that may continue after separation.

3. Improve trauma-informed practices in family court.

Domestic violence can have lasting effects on parents and children. I am calling for a review of Colorado’s family court practices to identify opportunities for better understanding of abuse dynamics, consideration of relevant safety concerns, and fair treatment of protective parents and children during custody and parenting-time proceedings.

4. Improve access to affordable legal representation.

Survivors should not have to navigate complicated legal proceedings without adequate support simply because they cannot afford an attorney. Colorado should explore expanding access to legal aid and other affordable legal resources for domestic violence survivors involved in family court.

5. Strengthen accountability and survivor support.

Survivors deserve clear information about their options, access to appropriate advocacy services, and meaningful ways to raise concerns when established procedures are not followed. Colorado should promote consistent standards, appropriate oversight, and better connections between first responders, victim advocates, and other support services.

6. Include survivors in developing solutions.

Policies should be informed by domestic violence advocates, qualified professionals, and people with lived experience. Survivors understand challenges that may not be obvious to those who have never had to navigate these systems themselves.

WHY THIS MATTERS TO ME

I cannot change what happened to me, and I cannot get back the years I’ve spent fighting to be heard. But I can use my voice to advocate for change so other survivors and families may have a better path forward.

I want survivors to be taken seriously when they ask for help. I want first responders to understand that trauma affects people differently. I want children affected by domestic violence to have their safety and well-being considered carefully. And I want protective parents to have access to fair processes and meaningful support when navigating the aftermath of abuse.

This is not about assuming every allegation is true or asking anyone to bypass a fair investigation. It is about ensuring that domestic violence is understood, safety concerns are evaluated appropriately, and survivors are treated with dignity.

No survivor should feel that asking for help means facing another battle just to be heard. No parent should have to choose between healing from abuse and trying to navigate a system that affects their relationship with their children.

MY CALL TO COLORADO

I am asking Colorado lawmakers and the appropriate state agencies to strengthen trauma-informed domestic violence training, review existing survivor protections, improve access to legal support, and identify practical reforms that better protect survivors and their children.

I recognize that these changes involve different laws, agencies, and decision-makers. I am asking Colorado to take meaningful steps toward these goals, beginning with stronger first-responder training and a commitment to reviewing where existing systems can better serve survivors.

My story is personal, but the change I am asking for is bigger than me.

Please sign and share this petition. Help me turn the experiences of survivors into meaningful action so that other families have a better chance of being heard, supported, and safe.