Dear Reader,
This week always feels significant to me.
It may not be the end of the calendar year, but in many ways it feels like both a conclusion and a beginning, a time to reflect on how far this movement has come, and to renew our commitment to the children and families who still need us.
On April 25, we honor Parental Alienation Awareness Day, also known by many as Bubbles of Love Day, a tradition that grew from Sarvy Emo’s effort to bring both awareness and hope to a painful issue by inviting people to blow bubbles in honor of children who should be free to love and be loved by both parents without fear or guilt.
And on April 26, we recognize Shared Parenting Day, a reminder that when children are safe, fit, and loved by both parents, public policy and family systems should work to protect those bonds, not erode them.
This week is not just symbolic. It reflects real progress.
In Kentucky, landmark shared-parenting legislation passed in 2018 through HB 528, creating a presumption of joint custody and equal parenting time in the best interest of the child. In Florida, major family-law reforms also took effect on July 1, 2023. HB 1301 created a rebuttable presumption that equal time-sharing is in a child’s best interests, and HB 775 clarified that when paternity is established, unmarried fathers are natural guardians with parental rights and responsibilities.
That broader movement matters deeply to the work we do.
Through Kids Need Both, Inc. and Hope4Families, we continue showing up for families in tangible ways:
- 1,211 participants have been mentored through our asynchronous platform alone in the areas of family stabilization, parenting, anger management, and domestic violence education.
- Our programs continue serving families locally, statewide, and nationwide, with Hope4Families certificates accepted in 42+ states.
- We expanded our impact in Florida’s 10th Judicial Circuit, including broader court-connected visibility and supervised visitation referral services.
- We continue to lead the Hope4Families Strategic Alliance, working collectively with professionals and organizations to expand support and impact for families.
- We published our second collaborative book in the Building Bridges of Hope series, which became an international #1 best seller.
- We partnered with Rotary Clubs to touch the lives of children in Polk County schools through service to the teachers and staff at Dixieland Elementary School.
- We participated in Community Engagement Conferences through Polk County Schools to strengthen local awareness, connection, and collaboration.
- We also contributed testimony and professional perspective in Colorado in support of shared-parenting legislation and more child-centered, evidence-based family court outcomes.
This work is not abstract.
It is about real children.
Real parents.
Real grief.
Real healing.
And real opportunities to do better.
Many of us came into this work because we have seen what happens when children are caught in chronic conflict, when one parent is pushed out, when systems become reactive instead of restorative, or when fear overshadows fairness.
But this week reminds us of something powerful:
Progress is possible.
Awareness matters.
Policy matters.
Education matters.
And collective action matters.
We are not just marking days on a calendar.
We are carrying forward a movement that says children deserve love, stability, truth, and the freedom to remain connected to both parents whenever safely possible.
Thank you for being part of this mission. Whether you have enrolled in a program, referred a family, partnered with us professionally, supported our nonprofit, contributed your voice, or simply stood with us in belief, thank you.
This week, we reflect.
We honor.
We advocate.
And we begin again with purpose.
Standing with families and for children,
Danica Joan Dockery, M.Ed.
Founder, Kids Need Both, Inc.
Managing Partner, Hope4Families Alliance
