NATIONAL PARENTS ORGANIZATION | PRESS RELEASE
November 20, 2018
National Parents Organization (NPO) is pleased to welcome a new affiliate in the state of New York, with Josh Blumenthal serving as the chairperson. The non-profit organization has grown to include affiliates in 16 states.
Blumenthal, 70, brings a unique experience to NPO’s effort to effect positive change in family court systems throughout the country. He gained custody, along with his now ex-wife, of his 8-month-old grandson and they later adopted him in 2004.
Following a separation, Blumenthal and his wife went through the family court system, and he spent years trying to facilitate an arrangement in the best interest of the child involved.
“Even if I’d been blind, I could not have missed the terrible effects on Jordan’s behavior, and this led me to see the experience through his eyes, from his perspective,” Blumenthal said. “I came to understand that nothing would have changed my ex’s behavior, but that the negative impact on Jordan would have been much less if we had had 50-50 shared custody. As time went on, I became more and more convinced that that should be the default position taken by family court, with allowances for a number of circumstances that might override the presumption.”
Blumenthal uses his experience to motivate volunteer work advocating for change in New York. Semiretired and with his son about to turn 21, he is no longer involved in custody challenges and seeks to improve the outcomes for children throughout the state, with the best interest of children being the top priority.
“A divorce or separation can be a difficult event, but a child’s need for both parents during this process remains the same as it was before,” Blumenthal said. “In fact, in a time of such turmoil, I’d argue that the child’s need for both parents is heightened, not diminished. The only compassionate thing to do is to give that child equal time with both parents whenever possible.
“I truly believe shared parenting is the best way to give the child the most emotionally secure life possible.”
NPO is a charitable and educational nonprofit organization with a goal to make shared parenting the norm by reforming the family courts and laws in every state. Members seek to educate constituents and motivate legislators to change family law at the state level based on the overwhelming and mounting evidence that children benefit from maintaining the important familial bonds with a mother and a father regardless of marital status.
“We are excited to welcome Josh and the state of New York to our growing list of affiliates,” NPO executive director Petra Maxwell said. “Josh has displayed his commitment to improving the system for others so that they don’t endure the same frustration and hardships he did during his experience. We thank him for his resolve and determination and look forward to assisting him in efforts to create positive change in the state.”
NPO relies on the generous contributions of its members. If interested in contributing to NPO, volunteering your time or starting a state affiliate, visit www.nationalparentsorganization.org or email parenting@nationalparentsorganization.org.
ABOUT NATIONAL PARENTS ORGANIZATION
National Parents Organization, a charitable and educational 501 (c)(3) organization, seeks better lives for children through family law reform that establishes equal rights and responsibilities for fathers and mothers after divorce or separation. The organization is focused on promoting shared parenting and preserving a child’s strong bonds with both parents, which is critically important to their emotional, mental, and physical health. National Parents Organization released the Shared Parenting Report Card, the first study to rank the states on child custody laws, and in 2017, National Parents Organization hosted the International Conference on Shared Parenting, bringing in research scholars from 18 countries to share their results on shared parenting. Visit the National Parents Organization website at www.nationalparentsorganization.org