FRANKFORT, Ky.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A conference coming to Kentucky in October will bring alienated parents, grandparents, and experts in the field together for presentations and discussions on the growing issue of parental and family alienation. The Parental / Grandparent Alienation and Equal Shared Parenting Symposium, hosted by Family Access – Fighting for Children's Rights and sponsored by Steel Partners Foundation, will be held Saturday, Oct. 5th, 2019 at the Capital Plaza Hotel in Frankfort, Kentucky. An opportunity to meet the experts who will be speaking during the event and other alienated family members and professionals will take place the evening before, Oct. 4th, at a buffet dinner.

Alienation affects thousands of children, their parents, and grandparents. Too often, children are the silent victims of bitter divorces and broken family dynamics. Making matters worse are the lack of laws and court systems that result in family cases being handled more like a financial lawsuit than one with the best interest of the child and overall family. Children are, sadly, in many cases, treated as win-or-lose objects.

While children are obvious victims, the others are parents and grandparents who are alienated in the process due to bitterness or revenge. Often, alienated parents are treated more like an ATM than a parent deserving of rights to have a real, contributing relationship with their children. Grandparents are very frequently ignored in family court, with very few rights in most states.

"We hope to educate families, the courts and the media on how devastating alienation is for everyone involved," said Elaine Cobb, founder and president of Family Access – Fighting for Children's Rights and course coordinator for the event. "I know firsthand the pain of being alienated from family members you love."

Speakers at the conference include William Bernet, M.D., a well-respected expert in the fields of child psychiatry and forensic psychiatry. In 2013, he and his colleagues published Parental Alienation: The Handbook for Mental Health and Legal Professionals. He is also the founder of the Parental Alienation Study Group and served as its first president. Another presenter is Steven Miller, M.D., an internationally-respected expert in alienation and estrangement. Other speakers include Amy J.L. Baker, Ph.D., Linda Gottlieb, attorney Brian Ludmer, Rev. Dr. John Killinger and Jill Egizii as a moderator who is founder and president of the Parental Alienation Awareness Organization USA.

"We're happy to provide underlying financial support to this important conference to make attendance affordable for all - parents, grandparents, educators and lawmakers," said Warren Lichtenstein, founder of Steel Partners Foundation. "We hope the conference will help to raise awareness of parental alienation and the damaging effects it can have on children, parents, grandparents, and their extended families. We also hope to help other states become more knowledgeable about passing laws for equal shared parenting."

Details on the symposium, as well as registration information, can be found at www.familyaccessfightingforchildrensrights.org or by sending an email to familyaccessinnc@aol.com.

About Family Access – Fighting for Children's Rights

Family Access – Fighting for Children's Rights was founded in 2012. The organization works to raise awareness of alienation and the effects it has on children, grandchildren, and their families. Family Access offers support, tools, and educational resources to alienated family members to help stop this growing problem.