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Survivors urge Santa Rosa council to prioritize child safety as city proclaims Family Court Awareness Month
Summary
The council proclaimed November Family Court Awareness Month; survivors and advocates described systemic failures in family court and urged reforms to protect children and caregivers, citing recent state legislation ("Peaky's Law") and local advocacy.
Santa Rosa City Council on Nov. 18 proclaimed November as Family Court Awareness Month and heard multiple emotional public testimonies from survivors and advocates calling for better protections for children in family court proceedings.
Councilmember Rogers introduced the proclamation, and Emily Stiffler, a domestic‑violence survivor and advocate, said the proclamation "is more than symbolic" and urged prioritizing child safety in every courtroom decision. Connie Rodriguez, a Sonoma County mother described in the meeting as a double homicide survivor, and other local advocates recounted experiences where family court decisions, they said, exposed children to harm. A public speaker identified as Renee said she worked on state legislation — "Peaky's Law" — passed in 2024 that she said bans many harmful practices, but she told council that local courts have not fully implemented its protections.
Council thanked speakers for their advocacy and took a photo with proclamation recipients. Several public commenters asked for concrete steps to ensure local family court practices respond to trauma and abuse disclosures.
The proclamation declaration and the survivor testimonies highlighted tensions between symbolic recognition and demands for operational changes in how courts and local support services respond to domestic‑violence survivors and children.
