Police, social workers, attorneys encouraged to attend free training on parental custody, visitation issues

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August 18

JOLIET – Law enforcement professionals, social workers and civil attorneys are encouraged to attend a free training seminar next week focusing on parental custody and visitation issues.

The free seminar is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Aug. 25 at Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park, 201 N. Bluff St., in Joliet. The 5-1/2 hour training session is eligible for MCLE credit for attorneys and CEU credit for social workers. All attendees will receive a certificate of completion. Spaces are still available.

The seminar will provide an overview on the enforcement of custody orders as well as the criminal aspects of parental kidnapping. Time also will be devoted to a discussion on visitation interference.

There will be a number of presenters, including: Amie Simpson, executive director of Will County Legal Assistance, which is now Prairie State Legal Services; Eric Smith of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services; Cinda Lubich, Statewide Amber Alert coordinator; Sgt. Steven Lydon, assistant chief of the Illinois State Police Statewide Terrorism and Intelligence Center; Will County Assistant State’s Attorney Mary Fillipitch; and a representative from the FBI.

“Child custody issues can create nightmares for police, prosecutors, civil attorneys and social workers,” said State’s Attorney James Glasgow, one of the seminar sponsors. “The impressive panel of speakers we have assembled will provide critical legal information about parental custody, including the enforcement of out-of-state orders, when a parent is allowed to take a child out of state and what constitutes ‘parental kidnapping.’”

The seminar is co-sponsored by the 12th Judicial Circuit Family Violence Coordinating Council, the Office of Will County State’s Attorney Glasgow, Social Work PRN, the Tri-River Police Training Association and the City of Joliet.

To register for this free training session, law enforcement officers should call Tri-River Police Training Association at (815) 439-6915; attorneys should call Yolanda at Will County Legal Assistance at 815-727-5123; and social service providers should call Social Work PRN at 708-383-2283.