Category: Press Releases

NATIONAL PARENTS ORGANIZATION
PRESS RELEASE 

January 14, 2016

BOSTON – National Parents Organization welcomes the stunning news that the Council of Italian Bishops (Conferenza Episcopale Italiana, or CEI) has endorsed shared parenting after divorce or separation, based on a full-page spread that appeared in its official newspaper, Avvenire (“Future”) on the Sunday before Christmas. The article was written by the Chief Editor of Avvenire, Luciano Moia. The article urges family courts to not only state support for shared parenting, but to also ensure the arrangement actually occurs in practice. Also, the article was supportive of legislative efforts that encourage shared parenting.

Many Church observers believe that Avvenire would not publish anything known to contradict the views of the Pope on a sensitive subject.

While research favoring the two-parent solution is now overwhelming, this is the first time a major religious body has taken a stance on shared parenting – where children spend as close to equal time as possible with both parents after divorce or separation.

“This article follows a series of statements by Pope Francis over the last year emphasizing the critical importance of two parents for children, and specifically of the father, because of the problem of fatherlessness,” said Dr. Ned Holstein, Founder and Board Chair of National Parents Organization. “This is an additional reason to believe that the December 20, 2015 article in Avvenire reflects the vision of the Pope. Given the historical reluctance of the Church to involve itself in matters of divorce, this is a striking development.”


In November, 2014, Pope Francis said that children have the right to be raised by a mother and a father, according to the Catholic News Agency. According to Catholic Radio, in January, 2015, Pope Francis “called on fathers to be present in the lives of their children,” and said that “fathers are necessary as examples and guides of our children … ” In June, 2015, the Catholic Herald paraphrased the Pope as follows: “Even if couples are unable to live together, the Pope said, they must find a way to work together harmoniously. And if they get to the point where ‘separation seems inevitable,’ he said, ‘know that the Church holds you in its heart and that your educating role does not end: you are and will always be dad and mum.’ ”

In a sidebar to the recent main article, Avvenire pointed approvingly to the December conference of the International Council on Shared Parenting in Bonn, Germany, which National Parents Organization helped organize. It also reported approvingly on the shared parenting advocacy of Italian pediatrician Dr. Vittorio Vezzetti, who has been instrumental in working with the Church, and on the resolution passed in October by the Council of Europe calling for shared parenting legislation in the EU member states. 

Sharing of parenting time after separation or divorce remains an unusual family court result. In fact, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, shared parenting occurs less than 20 percent of the time when parents divorce or separate. 

“National Parents Organization greatly appreciates the weight of a voice as prominent as the Catholic Church. I hope that family courts and legislative leaders throughout the United States will follow the Catholic Church’s lead and resolve to support the best interests of children by backing shared parenting in 2016,” Dr. Holstein said.

MEDIA SOURCE

Ned Holstein, M.D., M.S.

A regular contributor to local and national media, Dr. Holstein is Founder and Chair of the Board of National Parents Organization. Dr. Holstein was appointed by the Governor of Massachusetts to the Massachusetts Working Group on Child Centered Family Law, and he was previously appointed by a Massachusetts Chief Justice to a task force charged with reviewing and revising the state’s child support guidelines.

A graduate of Harvard College, Holstein also earned a Master’s degree in psychology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His medical degree is from Mount Sinai School of Medicine, where he serves on the faculty.

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 bond with both parents, which is critically important to their emotional, mental, and physical health. In 2014, National Parents Organization released the Shared Parenting Report Card, the first study to rank the states on child custody laws. Visit the National Parents Organization website at www.nationalparentsorganization.org.

NATIONAL PARENTS ORGANIZATION
PRESS RELEASE 

December 22, 2015

BOSTON — National Parents Organization announces the culmination of its 2015 fundraising campaign – an effort aimed at consolidating the nonprofit organization’s presence as the leading force for family court reform in the United States.

“2015 has been a break-out year for National Parents Organization’s efforts to repair the disasters of the family courts, and the organization needs – and very much appreciates – renewed support so that it can continue to make shared parenting the norm after separation or divorce, instead of sole custody to one parent,” said Dr. Ned Holstein, National Parents Organization Founder and Board Chair.

As National Parents Organization’s annual fundraising campaign gains momentum, the organization reflects on what it has accomplished in 2015, thanks to prior support. Those numerous achievements include efforts that resulted in the passage or advancement of legislative bills that support shared parenting and parental equality after divorce or separation in nearly 20 states throughout the nation. National Parents Organization’s key roles in the legislative efforts have been highlighted by news outlets throughout the nation, including The Wall Street Journal, NPR, CBS, The Boston Globe and the Miami Herald, to name just a few. 

Dr. Holstein added, “It gives us deep satisfaction that on Christmas morning all over America, thousands of children will jump joyfully into the arms of a parent they could not have been with but for our efforts.”

With a successful current fundraising season, National Parents Organization will press on with its efforts to reform the family courts in 2016. Moving forward, National Parents Organization aims to focus on reforming child support policies in as many states as possible while also continuing to advance shared parenting efforts from coast to coast.

“By contributing now, National Parents Organization can accelerate its family court reform efforts on January 2, 2016 to better serve the best interests of children and parents, and we look forward to the generous support that will put the wheels in motion,” Dr. Holstein said.

National Parents Organization is a 501c3. Gifts toward the organization’s fundraising campaign are tax deductible and can be made online at www.nationalparentsorganization.org/donate or by mail at National Parents Organization, PO Box 270760, Boston, MA 02127-0760.

MEDIA SOURCE

Ned Holstein, M.D., M.S.

A regular contributor to local and national media, Dr. Holstein is Founder and Chair of the Board of National Parents Organization. Dr. Holstein was appointed by the Governor of Massachusetts to the Massachusetts Working Group on Child Centered Family Law, and he was previously appointed by a Massachusetts Chief Justice to a task force charged with reviewing and revising the state’s child support guidelines.

A graduate of Harvard College, Holstein also earned a Master’s degree in psychology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His medical degree is from Mount Sinai School of Medicine, where he serves on the faculty.

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 bond with both parents, which is critically important to their emotional, mental, and physical health. In 2014, National Parents Organization released the Shared Parenting Report Card, the first study to rank the states on child custody laws. Visit the National Parents Organization website at www.nationalparentsorganization.org.

BOSTON — National Parents Organization is pleased to announce that its Founder and Board Chair, Dr. Ned Holstein, has been selected to speak at the International Conference on Shared Parenting 2015 in Bonn, Germany, Dec. 9-11.

The second annual conference, hosted by the International Council on Shared Parenting (ICSP), will feature research scientists and experts from the family professions and civil society throughout the world. The experts will gather at the Gustav-Stresemann-Institut (GSI) in Bonn to present their research and discuss best practices for legislative and psycho-social implementation of shared parenting as a viable and beneficial solution for children whose parents are living apart.

Dr. Holstein, who serves on the Board of Directors of the ICSP, will present at 12 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 11, during a session titled, “Implementation of Shared Parenting in Different Legal Systems.” During his presentation, Dr. Holstein will share data on whether shared parenting undermines the legal concept of “best interest of the child,” as is often claimed by its opponents.

The ICSP defines shared parenting as equivalent, alternating care of children whose parents are living apart, and during its first International Conference on Shared Parenting in 2014, experts reached a consensus statement: “There is a consensus that shared parenting is a viable post-divorce parenting arrangement that is optimal to child development and well-being, including for children of high conflict parents.”

MEDIA SOURCE
Ned Holstein, M.D., M.S.

A regular contributor to local and national media, Dr. Holstein is Founder and Chair of the Board of National Parents Organization. Dr. Holstein was appointed by the Governor of Massachusetts to the Massachusetts Working Group on Child Centered Family Law, and he was previously appointed by a Massachusetts Chief Justice to a task force charged with reviewing and revising the state’s child support guidelines.
A graduate of Harvard College, Holstein also earned a Master’s degree in psychology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His medical degree is from Mount Sinai School of Medicine, where he serves on the faculty.

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 bond with both parents, which is critically important to their emotional, mental, and physical health. In 2014, National Parents Organization released the Shared Parenting Report Card, the first study to rank the states on child custody laws. Visit the National Parents Organization website at www.nationalparentsorganization.org.

NATIONAL PARENTS ORGANIZATION
PRESS RELEASE

November 12, 2015

With Nevada recording the highest divorce rate in the nation, National Parents Organization encourages state legislators to explore family court reform as a proven solution to curbing a national trend that continues to have a devastating impact on our modern families.

The current family court system incentivizes divorce while a reform effort to ensure parental equality and shared parenting would leave neither parent in a position to be pigeonholed as primary care giver nor bread winner following divorce or separation. Rather, they would share equally in the responsibility of raising their children following divorce or separation. 

“Our family courts continue to incentivize divorce in custody battles by routinely positioning one parent as the winner – the one who receives more time with the children and carries more financial support – while the other parent falls into a role of visitor in the child’s life,” said Dr. Ned Holstein, Founder and Board Chair of National Parents Organization. “If both parents were facing a reality in which they each equally share child rearing following a divorce – both in terms of time and financial support – more parents would be encouraged to preserve the marriage and share the responsibilities of the family.” 

The latest data from the federal National Survey of Family Growth indicates that 48 percent of marriages ultimately end in divorce – a statistic that comes at a time when, according to the U.S. Census, family courts award sole custody, typically to the mother, in more than 80 percent of divorce cases, according to the U.S. Census. 

Economists Margaret Brinig and Douglas Allen echoed Dr. Holstein’s sentiment after evaluating 46,000 divorces. Their findings were published in the report “These Boots Are Made For Walking: Why Most Divorce Filers Are Women,” which suggested that the current system leaves one parent better off post-divorce and found that “who gets the children is by far the most important component in deciding who files for divorce.”

Meantime, our nation’s family courts continue with the sole custody/visitor model despite a growing amount of research showing that shared parenting is in the best interest of children. As one recent example, 110 international child development experts signed a report by Dr. Richard Warshak titled “Social Science and Parenting Plans for Young Children: A Consensus Report.” The study, which was published by the American Psychological Association in 2014, supported shared parenting after divorce.

In their report, Brinig and Allen “favor custody rules that replicate the patterns in marriage as closely as possible while giving each spouse a meaningful role (i.e. not zero) after divorce as opposed to either a ‘winner takes all rule’ like ‘maternal preference’ or ‘primary caretaker.’” 

A national legislative trend suggests that our society agrees, as numerous states have recently acted on the research by considering laws that encourage shared parenting after divorce. At least two states have implemented shared parenting laws within the past year, and nearly 20 other states have looked at similar proposals.

STATES SUPPORTING SHARED PARENTING

Within the past year, states including Utah and South Dakota have passed and implemented legislation supportive of shared parenting after divorce or separation, and the states that have considered similar proposals within the past year include:

·         Colorado

·         Florida

·         Hawaii

·         Kentucky

·         Maine

·         Maryland

·         Massachusetts

·         Michigan

·         Missouri

·         Nebraska

·         Nevada

·         New York

·         South Carolina

·         Vermont

·         Washington

·         Wyoming

MEDIA SOURCE

Ned Holstein, M.D., M.S.

A regular contributor to local and national media, Dr. Holstein is Founder and Chair of the Board of National Parents Organization. Dr. Holstein was appointed by the Governor of Massachusetts to the Massachusetts Working Group on Child Centered Family Law, and he was previously appointed by a Massachusetts Chief Justice to a task force charged with reviewing and revising the state’s child support guidelines.

A graduate of Harvard College, Holstein also earned a Master’s degree in psychology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His medical degree is from Mount Sinai School of Medicine, where he serves on the faculty.

SINGLE PARENTING VERSUS SHARED PARENTING

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control, the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Census Bureau and numerous researchers have reported alarming outcomes for the 35% of children who are raised by single parents. Yet, until now, this factor has been largely ignored in the conversation about child wellbeing.

Children raised by single parents account for:

•       63% of teen suicides;

•       70% of juveniles in state-operated institutions;

•       71% of high school drop-outs;

•       75% of children in chemical abuse centers;

•       85% of those in prison;

•       85% of children who exhibit behavioral disorders; and

•       90% of homeless and runaway children.

Whether the problem is emotional disturbances of children, drug use, alcohol use, teen pregnancy, poor performance in school, trouble with the law or running with gangs, being raised by a single parent is a powerful risk factor. For many of these outcomes, single parenting is a stronger risk factor than race or poverty. Conversely, children on average do much better on all these measures if they have shared parenting. Children ardently desire shared parenting in most cases and are happier with it.

For parents, shared parenting significantly increases child support compliance, diminishes parental conflict and domestic violence and allows both parents to pursue their careers, social lives and other interests without the burden of singlehandedly raising a child.

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 bond with both parents, which is critically important to their emotional, mental, and physical health. In 2014, National Parents Organization released the Shared Parenting Report Card, the first study to rank the states on child custody laws. Visit the National Parents Organization website at www.nationalparentsorganization.org.

NATIONAL PARENTS ORGANIZATION
PRESS RELEASE

October 30, 2015

As October – the month declared as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month – comes to a close, National Parents Organization commits to recognizing the goals of the month year-round by raising awareness of the tragic impact domestic violence has on many families throughout the nation.

As part of this recognition, National Parents Organization urges individuals to familiarize themselves with domestic violence facts, including that the violence is perpetrated by both men and women. As President Obama emphasized in his 2015 National Domestic Violence Awareness Month Proclamation, “Domestic violence impacts women, men, and children of every age, background, and belief … ”

Extensive research by, for instance, the U. S. Department of Justice, has documented that women initiate domestic violence approximately as often as men do (although the women’s injuries outweigh men’s). The public is generally unaware or downright skeptical of these facts, in part because domestic violence agencies have often failed to acknowledge the extent of male victimization, nor have the media reported it as widely. For instance, during the justified national uproar following the release of a surveillance video showing former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice knocking his fiancé unconscious, there was not a single reference to former NFL star quarterback Steve McNair, who was shot dead by his girlfriend as he slept.

National Parents Organization calls on domestic violence advocates to develop ways to serve both male and female victims. While extensive services are available to female services, and while these may need to be expanded, there are almost no services available to male victims. The most critical changes male victims need are not shelters, but the assurance that they themselves will not be arrested if they call the police to report an assault by their female partner. In addition, male victims need a fair chance to win custody of their children so that they can leave the relationship and still protect them from a violent mother.

In its own efforts, National Parents Organization will continue to support shared parenting when parents divorce or separate only in cases where significant domestic violence is not an issue, and the organization’s leadership urges others to also join in the fight against domestic violence.

Each day of the year, National Parents Organization echoes the recent words from the President’s Proclamation: “We reaffirm our dedication to forging an America where no one suffers the hurt and hardship that domestic violence causes — and we recommit to doing everything in our power to uphold the basic human right to be free from violence and abuse.”

MEDIA SOURCE

Ned Holstein, M.D., M.S.

A regular contributor to local and national media, Dr. Holstein is Founder and Chair of the Board of National Parents Organization. Dr. Holstein was appointed by the Governor of Massachusetts to the Massachusetts Working Group on Child Centered Family Law, and he was previously appointed by a Massachusetts Chief Justice to a task force charged with reviewing and revising the state’s child support guidelines.

A graduate of Harvard College, Holstein also earned a Master’s degree in psychology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His medical degree is from Mount Sinai School of Medicine, where he serves on the faculty.

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 bond with both parents, which is critically important to their emotional, mental, and physical health. In 2014, National Parents Organization released the Shared Parenting Report Card, the first study to rank the states on child custody laws. Visit the National Parents Organization website at www.nationalparentsorganization.org.

NATIONAL PARENTS ORGANIZATION
PRESS RELEASE

October 20, 2015

 
With nearly half of marriages ending in divorce, National Parents Organization encourages state legislatures to explore family court reform as a proven solution to curbing a national trend that continues to have a devastating impact on our modern families.

The current family court system incentivizes divorce while a reform effort to ensure parental equality and shared parenting would leave neither parent in a position to be pigeonholed as primary care giver nor bread winner following divorce or separation. Rather, they would share equally in the responsibility of raising their children following divorce or separation. 

“Our family courts continue to incentivize divorce in custody battles by routinely positioning one parent as the winner – the one who receives more time with the children and carries more financial support – while the other parent falls into a role of visitor in the child’s life,” said Dr. Ned Holstein, Founder and Board Chair of National Parents Organization. “If both parents were facing a reality in which they each equally share child rearing following a divorce – both in terms of time and financial support – more parents would be encouraged to preserve the marriage and share the responsibilities of the family.” 

The latest data from the federal National Survey of Family Growth indicates that 48 percent of marriages ultimately end in divorce – a statistic that comes at a time when, according to the U.S. Census, family courts award sole custody, typically to the mother, in more than 80 percent of divorce cases, according to the U.S. Census. 

Economists Margaret Brinig and Douglas Allen echoed Dr. Holstein’s sentiment after evaluating 46,000 divorces. Their findings were published in the report “These Boots Are Made For Walking: Why Most Divorce Filers Are Women,” which suggested that the current system leaves one parent better off post-divorce and found that “who gets the children is by far the most important component in deciding who files for divorce.”

Meantime, our nation’s family courts continue with the sole custody/visitor model despite a growing amount of research showing that shared parenting is in the best interest of children. As one recent example, 110 international child development experts signed a report by Dr. Richard Warshak titled “Social Science and Parenting Plans for Young Children: A Consensus Report.” The study, which was published by the American Psychological Association in 2014, supported shared parenting after divorce.

In their report, Brinig and Allen “favor custody rules that replicate the patterns in marriage as closely as possible while giving each spouse a meaningful role (i.e. not zero) after divorce as opposed to either a ‘winner takes all rule’ like ‘maternal preference’ or ‘primary caretaker.’” 

A national legislative trend suggests that our society agrees, as numerous states have recently acted on the research by considering laws that encourage shared parenting after divorce. At least two states have implemented shared parenting laws within the past year, and nearly 20 other states have looked at similar proposals.

STATES SUPPORTING SHARED PARENTING

Within the past year, states including Utah and South Dakota have passed and implemented legislation supportive of shared parenting after divorce or separation, and the states that have considered similar proposals within the past year include:

• Colorado
• Florida
• Hawaii
• Kentucky
• Maine
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Missouri
• Nebraska
• Nevada
• New York
• South Carolina
• Vermont
• Washington
• Wyoming

MEDIA SOURCE

Ned Holstein, M.D., M.S.

A regular contributor to local and national media, Dr. Holstein is Founder and Chair of the Board of National Parents Organization. Dr. Holstein was appointed by the Governor of Massachusetts to the Massachusetts Working Group on Child Centered Family Law, and he was previously appointed by a Massachusetts Chief Justice to a task force charged with reviewing and revising the state’s child support guidelines.

A graduate of Harvard College, Holstein also earned a Master’s degree in psychology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His medical degree is from Mount Sinai School of Medicine, where he serves on the faculty.

SINGLE PARENTING VERSUS SHARED PARENTING

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control, the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Census Bureau and numerous researchers have reported alarming outcomes for the 35% of children who are raised by single parents. Yet, until now, this factor has been largely ignored in the conversation about child wellbeing.

Children raised by single parents account for:

•       63% of teen suicides;

•       70% of juveniles in state-operated institutions;

•       71% of high school drop-outs;

•       75% of children in chemical abuse centers;

•       85% of those in prison;

•       85% of children who exhibit behavioral disorders; and

•       90% of homeless and runaway children.

Whether the problem is emotional disturbances of children, drug use, alcohol use, teen pregnancy, poor performance in school, trouble with the law or running with gangs, being raised by a single parent is a powerful risk factor. For many of these outcomes, single parenting is a stronger risk factor than race or poverty. Conversely, children on average do much better on all these measures if they have shared parenting. Children ardently desire shared parenting in most cases and are happier with it.

For parents, shared parenting significantly increases child support compliance, diminishes parental conflict and domestic violence and allows both parents to pursue their careers, social lives and other interests without the burden of singlehandedly raising a child.

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 bond with both parents, which is critically important to their emotional, mental, and physical health. In 2014, National Parents Organization released the Shared Parenting Report Card, the first study to rank the states on child custody laws. Visit the National Parents Organization website at www.nationalparentsorganization.org.

NATIONAL PARENTS ORGANIZATION
PRESS RELEASE

October 14, 2015

 
National Parents Organization believes that a powerful measure to reduce the number of mass shootings is going unexplored. As the Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency has reported, “the most reliable indicator of violent crime in a community is the proportion of fatherless families.” Fatherless families, in turn, are caused in part by family courts that exclude fathers from post-divorce parenting. By instituting shared parenting after divorce or separation, fathers would be allowed to continue to show their sons the right way to grow into manhood.

“It is important to remind our nation that the solution to this problem starts in the home with parenting,” said Dr. Ned Holstein, MD, Founder and Board Chair of National Parents Organization said. “Unfortunately, however, our nation’s family courts prevent millions of divorced and separated fathers from having meaningful relationships with their children, which only leaves their children more vulnerable to this unfortunate behavior.”  

The result is devastating for our children. As President Obama pointed out, federal statistics show that children from single-parent families are five times more likely to commit crime and 20 times more likely to end up in prison.

“The repeat narrative is deeply troubling. An individual who grew up without the love and support of both parents turns to unfathomable, deadly gun violence. This must stop, and one piece of the solution is to to ensure children have both parents intimately involved in their lives after separation or divorce,” Dr. Holstein said. “With this in mind, I urge legislators in all states to join the family court reform movement to make shared parenting the new status quo in our society if both parents are fit and there has been no significant domestic violence.”

Within the past year, Utah and South Dakota, following in the footsteps of Arizona and Alaska, have implemented new child custody laws that encourage shared parenting after divorce or separation when parents are fit, and another nearly 20 states have considered similar proposals.

Not only do the statistics show the negative impact of single parenting, but a growing body of research shows shared parenting after divorce or separation is in children’s best interest. For instance,110 international child development experts signed a report by Dr. Richard Warshak titled “Social Science and Parenting Plans for Young Children: A Consensus Report.” Based on a review of 30 years of child development research and published by the American Psychological Association in 2014, the study concluded, “… shared parenting should be the norm for parenting plans for children of all ages, including very young children.”

“We know that in the absence of the old bulls, juvenile male elephants often go on violent rampages. We also know that our children desperately need both parents in their lives to thrive, and for this reason, lawmakers in every state must move forward with family court reform as soon as possible,” Dr. Holstein said. 

STATES SUPPORTING SHARED PARENTING

In addition to states such as Utah and South Dakota which have passed and implemented legislation supportive of shared parenting after divorce or separation, around 20 states have considered similar proposals within the past year, including:

• Colorado
• Florida
• Hawaii
• Kentucky
• Maine
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Missouri
• Nebraska
• Nevada
• New York
• South Carolina
• Vermont
• Washington
• Wyoming

MEDIA SOURCE

Ned Holstein, M.D., M.S.

A regular contributor to local and national media, Dr. Holstein is Founder and Chair of the Board of National Parents Organization. Dr. Holstein was appointed by the Governor of Massachusetts to the Massachusetts Working Group on Child Centered Family Law, and he was previously appointed by a Massachusetts Chief Justice to a task force charged with reviewing and revising the state’s child support guidelines.

A graduate of Harvard College, Holstein also earned a Master’s degree in psychology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His medical degree is from Mount Sinai School of Medicine, where he serves on the faculty.

SINGLE PARENTING VERSUS SHARED PARENTING

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control, the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Census Bureau and numerous researchers have reported alarming outcomes for the 35% of children who are raised by single parents. Yet, until now, this factor has been largely ignored in the conversation about child wellbeing.

Children raised by single parents account for:

•       63% of teen suicides;

•       70% of juveniles in state-operated institutions;

•       71% of high school drop-outs;

•       75% of children in chemical abuse centers;

•       85% of those in prison;

•       85% of children who exhibit behavioral disorders; and

•       90% of homeless and runaway children.

Whether the problem is emotional disturbances of children, drug use, alcohol use, teen pregnancy, poor performance in school, trouble with the law or running with gangs, being raised by a single parent is a powerful risk factor. For many of these outcomes, single parenting is a stronger risk factor than race or poverty. Conversely, children on average do much better on all these measures if they have shared parenting. Children ardently desire shared parenting in most cases and are happier with it.

For parents, shared parenting significantly increases child support compliance, diminishes parental conflict and domestic violence and allows both parents to pursue their careers, social lives and other interests without the burden of singlehandedly raising a child.

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 bond with both parents, which is critically important to their emotional, mental, and physical health. In 2014, National Parents Organization released the Shared Parenting Report Card, the first study to rank the states on child custody laws. Visit the National Parents Organization website at www.nationalparentsorganization.org.

NATIONAL PARENTS ORGANIZATION
PRESS RELEASE

September 25, 2015

At a time when more than one-third of the states are considering family court reform that encourages shared parenting after divorce, National Parents Organization of Maryland invites local leaders, residents and members of the media to learn more about the reform efforts during a local showing of the documentary “Divorce Corp.”  

The free showing is scheduled from 3 to 5:30 p.m. at the Savage Branch of Howard County Library (Room 162, 9525 Durness Lane) in Laurel, Maryland, on Saturday, Oct. 3. The Fathers Rights Movement and The Children’s Rights Fund join National Parents Organization of Maryland in hosting the event.

The film, directed by Joseph Sorge and narrated by Dr. Drew, sheds light on the ways in which family courts operate as a “big business” that profits at the expense of families. Within the past year, states including Utah and South Dakota have begun addressing the alarming outcomes highlighted in the film by passing shared parenting legislation, and another nearly 20 states, including Maryland, have considered similar bills. Efforts to make shared parenting, where children spend as close to equal time as possible with each parent, combats the costly and combative divorce court status quo of awarding one parent joint physical custody while reducing the other parent to visitor status.  

The push for shared parenting falls in line with a growing body of child development research that shows shared parenting after parents divorce or separate is in the best interest of children. As a recent example, this spring, a 150,000-child study published by the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health and reported on by TIME magazine found that shared parenting after divorce or separation is in the best interest of children’s health. 

The organizers of the local “Divorce Corp” showing intend for the event to raise awareness of the impact the broken family court system has on families. Ultimately, the organizers hope the event spurs a collaborative effort to put Maryland back on the list of the many states considering reform that allows more children to experience the constant love of both parents.

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 bond with both parents, which is critically important to their emotional, mental, and physical health. In 2014, National Parents Organization released the Shared Parenting Report Card, the first study to rank the states on child custody laws. Visit the National Parents Organization website at www.nationalparentsorganization.org

NATIONAL PARENTS ORGANIZATION
PRESS RELEASE

September 16, 2015

BOSTON — As an advocate for shared parenting after divorce and separation, National Parents Organization is encouraged to learn a new study shows Millennial women support parental equality.

The recent study from CEB surveyed 2,000 male and female Millennials (ages 20 to 37) then analyzed values through a survey, and according to a Business Insiderstory, the results included that 77 percent of women think both partners should be equally engaged in rearing children. “Gone are the days of the woman’s duties and the man’s duties, for women ages 20 to 37, ‘sharing is caring,’” the story stated.

Dr. Ned Holstein, Founder and Board Chair of National Parents Organization, said, “While this study is encouraging for the parental equality movement sweeping the nation, it also shows that our family courts continue to be out of touch with the modern family. In fact, our nation’s family courts continue in the opposite direction by awarding sole custody to one parent in more than 80 percent of cases.”

Considering the strong support for the two-parent solution from women in the generation that will lead our country into the future, National Parents Organization believes now more than ever is the time for our family courts to end the 1950’s tradition of awarding one parent sole custody while reducing the other parent to little more than a visitor in a child’s life.

Given the family court status quo, National Parents Organization is pleased that within the past year alone, two states have passed and implemented legislation that supports the best interest of children by encouraging shared parenting, rather than the sole custody/visitor model, after divorce or separation, and another nearly 20 states have considered similar proposals. As lawmakers in each state weight their priorities, National Parents Organization urges them to listen to Millennial women and continue to move legislation that supports shared parenting and parental equality forward.

STATES SUPPORTING SHARED PARENTING

Within the past year, states including Utah and South Dakota have passed and implemented legislation supportive of shared parenting after divorce or separation, and the states that have considered similar proposals within the past year include:

• Colorado
• Florida
• Hawaii
• Kentucky
• Maine
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Missouri
• Nebraska
• Nevada
• New York
• South Carolina
• Vermont
• Washington
• Wyoming

MEDIA SOURCE

Ned Holstein, M.D., M.S.

A regular contributor to local and national media, Dr. Holstein is Founder and Chair of the Board of National Parents Organization. Dr. Holstein was appointed by the Governor of Massachusetts to the Massachusetts Working Group on Child Centered Family Law, and he was previously appointed by a Massachusetts Chief Justice to a task force charged with reviewing and revising the state’s child support guidelines.

A graduate of Harvard College, Holstein also earned a Master’s degree in psychology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His medical degree is from Mount Sinai School of Medicine, where he serves on the faculty.

SINGLE PARENTING VERSUS SHARED PARENTING

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control, the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Census Bureau and numerous researchers have reported alarming outcomes for the 35% of children who are raised by single parents. Yet, until now, this factor has been largely ignored in the conversation about child wellbeing.

Children raised by single parents account for:

•       63% of teen suicides;

•       70% of juveniles in state-operated institutions;

•       71% of high school drop-outs;

•       75% of children in chemical abuse centers;

•       85% of those in prison;

•       85% of children who exhibit behavioral disorders; and

•       90% of homeless and runaway children.

Whether the problem is emotional disturbances of children, drug use, alcohol use, teen pregnancy, poor performance in school, trouble with the law or running with gangs, being raised by a single parent is a powerful risk factor. For many of these outcomes, single parenting is a stronger risk factor than race or poverty. Conversely, children on average do much better on all these measures if they have shared parenting. Children ardently desire shared parenting in most cases and are happier with it.

For parents, shared parenting significantly increases child support compliance, diminishes parental conflict and domestic violence and allows both parents to pursue their careers, social lives and other interests without the burden of singlehandedly raising a child.

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 bond with both parents, which is critically important to their emotional, mental, and physical health. In 2014, National Parents Organization released the Shared Parenting Report Card, the first study to rank the states on child custody laws. Visit the National Parents Organization website at www.nationalparentsorganization.org

NATIONAL PARENTS ORGANIZATION
PRESS RELEASE

September 9, 2015

BOSTON – While Grandparents Day, Sunday, Sept. 13, stands on the calendar as a day to celebrate grandparents, National Parents Organization emphasizes that the day unfortunately also serves as a reminder that many grandparents aren’t allowed to spend a significant amount of meaningful time with their grandchildren after a family experiences divorce or separation. Fortunately, a solution to the problem exists in shared parenting, and National Parents Organization urges the nearly 20 states that have considered shared parenting legislation within the past year to strengthen efforts to move the reform forward.

Currently, the divorce court status quo of awarding one parent sole custody and categorizing the other parent as a visitor in instances of divorce or separation has a tremendous impact on extended family members. Grandmothers and grandfathers, as well as aunts, uncles and cousins, often lose out on time with the children they love simply because they fall on the “visitor” side of the family. In fact, shared parenting is only in place about 20 percent of the time following divorce or separation, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

The national trend of states enacting and considering shared parenting bills is in line with an increasing amount of research showing the two-parent solution supports the best interest of children. As just one recent example, the American Psychological Association published a report within the past year by prominent University of Texas psychologist Richard Warshak titled “Social Science and Parenting Plans for Young Children: A Consensus Report.” The report was signed by 110 child development experts and concludes: “Shared parenting should be the norm for parenting plans for children of all ages, including very young children.” In addition, federal statistics show the alarming impact that single parenting has on children (see “Single Parenting Versus Shared Parenting” below).

From National Parents Organization’s perspective, one of the greatest negative impacts the family courts currently have on children is the unfortunate and unnecessary limitations they place on children’s access to extended family and the critical, loving roles that grandparents play in children’s lives. This Grandparents Day, National Parents Organization encourages all states to join the push for shared parenting and parental equality after divorce so that all grandchildren can receive the constant love and support of all grandparents.

STATES SUPPORTING SHARED PARENTING

Within the past year, states including Utah and South Dakota have passed and implemented legislation supportive of shared parenting after divorce or separation, and the states that have considered similar proposals within the past year include:

• Colorado
• Florida
• Hawaii
• Kentucky
• Maine
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Missouri
• Nebraska
• Nevada
• New York
• South Carolina
• Vermont
• Washington
• Wyoming

MEDIA SOURCE

Ned Holstein, M.D., M.S.

A regular contributor to local and national media, Dr. Holstein is Founder and Chair of the Board of National Parents Organization. Dr. Holstein was appointed by the Governor of Massachusetts to the Massachusetts Working Group on Child Centered Family Law, and he was previously appointed by a Massachusetts Chief Justice to a task force charged with reviewing and revising the state’s child support guidelines.

A graduate of Harvard College, Holstein also earned a Master’s degree in psychology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His medical degree is from Mount Sinai School of Medicine, where he later served on the faculty as a teacher and researcher.

SINGLE PARENTING VERSUS SHARED PARENTING

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control, the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Census Bureau and numerous researchers have reported alarming outcomes for the 35% of children who are raised by single parents. Yet, until now, this factor has been largely ignored in the conversation about child wellbeing.

Children raised by single parents account for:

•       63% of teen suicides;

•       70% of juveniles in state-operated institutions;

•       71% of high school drop-outs;

•       75% of children in chemical abuse centers;

•       85% of those in prison;

•       85% of children who exhibit behavioral disorders; and

•       90% of homeless and runaway children.

Whether the problem is emotional disturbances of children, drug use, alcohol use, teen pregnancy, poor performance in school, trouble with the law or running with gangs, being raised by a single parent is a powerful risk factor. For many of these outcomes, single parenting is a stronger risk factor than race or poverty. Conversely, children on average do much better on all these measures if they have shared parenting. Children ardently desire shared parenting in most cases and are happier with it.

For parents, shared parenting significantly increases child support compliance, diminishes parental conflict and domestic violence and allows both parents to pursue their careers, social lives and other interests without the burden of singlehandedly raising a child.

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 bond with both parents, which is critically important to their emotional, mental, and physical health. In 2014, National Parents Organization released the Shared Parenting Report Card, the first study to rank the states on child custody laws. Visit the National Parents Organization website at www.nationalparentsorganization.org