Category: Press Releases

NATIONAL PARENTS ORGANIZATION

PRESS RELEASE

March 6, 2015

ONE-THIRD OF NATION’S STATES INTRODUCE SHARED PARENTING LEGISLATION

NATIONAL PARENTS ORGANIZATION APPLAUDS NATIONAL TREND

BOSTON – National Parents Organization is pleased to announce that at least 17 state legislatures are currently considering bills that support shared parenting and parental equality in instances of divorce or separation.

National Parents Organization considers the national trend an appropriate response to the tremendous impact our nation’s family courts continue to have on the roughly 35% of American children whose parents have divorced or separated. Family courts routinely operate under a 1950s model that places parents on unequal child custody footing. However, recent comprehensive reviews of child development research show that children thrive with shared parenting following separation or divorce.

For instance, the American Psychological Association recently published a report by prominent University of Texas psychologist Richard Warshak, titled “Social Science and Parenting Plans for Young Children: A Consensus Report,” which 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).

Still, parents seeking shared parenting after divorce or separation face an uphill battle.

“Despite what you might believe, shared parenting is not the norm in instances of divorce and separation. In fact, family courts award sole custody, usually to the mother, in over 80 percent of child custody cases,” said Ned Holstein, M.D., M.S., Founder and Chair of National Parents Organization – the group that recently published an inaugural Shared Parenting Report Card that issued each state’s child custody statutes a grade, A through F.

States working to overcome the persistence of the sole custody tradition by considering legislation that encourages shared parenting and parental equality include:

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

NATIONAL PARENTS ORGANIZATION

PRESS RELEASE

January 16, 2015

NATIONAL PARENTS ORGANIZATION CALLS ON U.S. OFFICE OF CHILD SUPPORT ENFORCEMENT TO ALTER PROPOSED RULE CHANGES

BOSTON — National Parents Organization commends the U.S. Office of Child Support Enforcement’s (OCSE) current effort to update its rules for the first time in 35 years. At the same time, however, we urge the Office to consider additional revisions that go further in fostering the best interest of children.

“We applaud the OCSE for recognizing that the problem of unpaid child support is mainly due to poverty among payers. It states, ‘Most arrearages are owed by noncustodial parents with earnings under $10,000 and are uncollectible.’ Currently, the pressure to collect the uncollectible is driving many of these parents underground, out of the lives of the children who love and want them. The new proposals by the OCSE will help to give back the second parent to these children,” said Ned Holstein, MD, MS, Founder and Chair of National Parents Organization.

The National Parents Organization also encourages the OCSE to take positive steps for middle class children as well.

Deanna Marchand, financial planner and Co-Chair of the Massachusetts chapter of the National Parents Organization, said, “When you run the numbers, it is easy to show that in some states, middle class child support orders are sometimes two or three times what it actually costs to raise a child. This multi-year windfall for the custodial parent creates resistance to shared parenting, which researchers have shown is the best arrangement for children. Even worse for children is the legacy of bitterness between parents after a toxic custody battle motivated by child support profit. Children end up with a bitter non-custodial parent whom they get to see only a few days per month.”

Dr. Holstein added, “We believe the two-condo, two-parent, and two-winner solution is much better for children than one big house and one shabby apartment, two involved parents instead of one custodial and one non-custodial parent, and two equal parents instead of a winner and a loser.”

In addition, while National Parents Organization appreciates the U.S. Office of Child Support Enforcement encouraging public comments through its website until Jan. 16, the organization believes input opportunities should extend to public hearings.

“With nearly 50 percent of children in our nation living apart from at least one of their parents, these rules have a tremendous impact on millions of children across the country,” Holstein said. “This is a historic occasion, and it is pertinent that those affected have every opportunity to help shape outcomes.”

“In order to meet the needs of modern families, we urge the OCSE to take this opportunity to address a negative reality in our society – our nation’s family courts continue to award sole custody, usually to the mother, in over 80 percent of child custody cases,” Holstein said. “Poor child support rules are a major driver of this outcome. Our organization recently released the inaugural Shared Parenting Report Card, a report highlighting that many states are not only discouraging shared parenting, but they are also depriving children of what they benefit from most – ample time with both of their parents – while also enabling a system that fosters parental and gender inequality.”

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. Visit the National Parents Organization website at www.nationalparentsorganization.org

MEDIA SOURCE

Ned Holstein, MD, MS

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.

NATIONAL PARENTS ORGANIZATION

PRESS RELEASE

November 13, 2014

NATIONAL STUDY GRADES STATES FOR SHARED PARENTING AFTER DIVORCE STATE-BY-STATE ANALYSIS HIGHLIGHTS PARENTAL INEQUALITY ACROSS THE NATION

BOSTON – National Parents Organization announced today the release of its 2014 Shared Parenting Report Card, an inaugural report issuing state-by-state grades in the nation’s first comprehensive review of child custody statutes as they relate to shared parenting in instances of divorce and separation.

“Despite what you might believe, shared parenting is not the norm in instances of divorce and separation. In fact, family courts award sole custody, usually to the mother, in over 80 percent of child custody cases,” said Ned Holstein, M.D., M.S., Founder and Chair of National Parents Organization. “Our report highlights that many states are not only discouraging shared parenting, but they are also depriving children of what they benefit from most – ample time with both of their parents – while also enabling a system that fosters parental inequality.”

The National Parents Organization 2014 Shared Parenting Report Card assigns each state a grade, A through F, to indicate the best and worst states for shared parenting – a flexible arrangement in which children enjoy the benefit of having both parents fully engaged in their lives after separation or divorce.

“Our report comes at a historic moment,” Dr. Holstein said. “In the first eight months of 2014, three separate, highly regarded reviews of decades of child development research have concluded that shared parenting is best for children. Our report is intended to take the conversation one step further by assessing which states are embracing this knowledge and which states are continuing to rely on precedents set in the 50s.”

“Our findings reveal that a majority of states’ statutory provisions are behind the times, with most earning C’s and D’s,” said Don Hubin, Ph.D., who led the National Parents Organization research team and is  Director for the Center for Ethics and Human Values at The Ohio State University. “We hope that this study, coupled with research that demonstrates the many benefits of shared parenting, will encourage a new dialogue and will motivate our state legislatures and family courts to reexamine the impact they are having on our children.”

In compiling the report, National Parents Organization’s research team evaluated our 50 states’ child custody statutes and examined specific areas of the statutes to determine each grade. As a result, the report provides an unprecedented, nationwide look at shared parenting – defined as joint legal custody and shared physical custody.

“Shared parenting gives children what they most want and need – the constant loving care of both parents,” said Rita Fuerst Adams, M.B.A., National Executive Director of National Parents Organization. “For this reason, our courts should be striving to provide children as much time with both parents as possible after divorce or separation. However, as this report demonstrates, far too many states are missing the mark when it comes to shared parenting, parental equality and supporting the best interests of children.”

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. Visit the National Parents Organization website at www.nationalparentsorganization.org

MEDIA SOURCE
Ned Holstein, MD, MS

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.

NATIONAL PARENTS ORGANIZATION

PRESS RELEASE

October 2, 2014

NATIONAL PARENTS ORGANIZATION HONORS CHILD HEALTH DAY SHARED PARENTING ADVOCACY EFFORTS UPHOLD HISTORIC PROCLAMATION

BOSTON — National Parents Organization will honor National Child Health Day, Monday, Oct. 6, 2014, by continuing to advocate for shared parenting – the child custody arrangement that federal statistics as well as child development studies consistently show serves the best interest of children’s health and well-being after parents divorce or separate.

By promoting shared parenting – also referred to as equal child custody – National Parents Organization answers a call President Calvin Coolidge made in 1928 under a Joint Resolution of Congress that proclaimed National Child Health Day a United States Federal Observance Day. In the proclamation, the President invited all agencies and organizations interested in child welfare to unite on Child Health Day, and he stated that “a day should be set apart each year for the direction of our thoughts towards the health and well-being of our children.”

Ned Holstein, M.D., M.S., National Parents Organization Founder and Board Chair, says, “On National Child Health Day, I can’t think of a better way to uphold the best interest of children’s health and well-being than doing everything in our power to bring children what they most need, and that’s two loving parents actively involved in their lives.”

Contrary to common belief, family courts rarely award shared parenting following divorce or separation. Sole custody, usually awarded to the mother, occurs in a great majority of cases, and as a result, the percentage of children growing up in a single-parent home has risen to more than 35 percent. National Parents Organization is working to reverse these trends by advocating nationwide for child custody law reform that supports shared parenting; these efforts are rooted in child health statistics and studies, including:

·According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Census Bureau, children raised by single parents account for:

63% of teen suicides
70% of juveniles in state-operated institutions
71% of high school dropouts
75% of children in chemical abuse centers
85% of those in prison
85% of children who exhibit behavioral disorders
90% of homeless and runaway children

·In 2014, three leading child development organizations released research-based endorsements for shared parenting. As one example, in April, the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts published the recommendations of family law experts, concluding, “Children’s best interests are furthered by parenting plans that provide for continuing and shared parenting relationships . . .”

National Parents Organization invites others to join its shared parenting efforts as a way to uphold the National Child Health Day Proclamation reminder that “the protection and development of the health of the children of today are fundamental necessities to the future progress and welfare of the Nation.”

MEDIA SOURCE

Ned Holstein, MD, MS
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.

ABOUT NATIONAL PARENTS ORGANIZATION

National Parents Organization, a charitable and educational 501(c)(3) organization, improves the lives of children and strengthens society by protecting every child’s right to the love and care of both parents after separation or divorce. We seek better lives for children through family court reform that establishes equal rights and responsibilities for fathers and mothers.

PRESS RELEASE

April 20, 2014

GOVERNOR PATRICK SUPPORTS HISTORIC OVERHAUL OF CUSTODY LEGISLATION JUST IN TIME FOR PARENTAL ALIENATION AWARENESS DAY

BOSTON – As we approach National Parental Alienation Awareness Day (April 25), National Parents Organization applauds Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick for his leadership in promoting a historic re-write of the Massachusetts custody statute that encourages shared parenting. If passed by the Legislature, the Governor’s bill will help all children of divorce, but especially those with a parent inclined to alienate the child from the other parent.

“Shared parenting is the most powerful ‘vaccine’ to prevent parental alienation,” said Dr. Ned Holstein, Chair and Founder of National Parents Organization. “Moreover, shared parenting diminishes parental conflict, increases child support and college payments, and leads to better grades, less mental illness, less substance abuse and less delinquency among children. It is a win-win-win for mothers, fathers and children, and best of all, it is free.”

The new legislation was crafted by the Governor’s Working Group on Child-Centered Family Law, which was convened by Governor Patrick 20 months ago. The 18-member group included the Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Probate and Family Court, the Child Advocate for the Commonwealth, multiple bar association representatives, including the Women’s Bar Association, domestic violence organizations, members of the Legislature, and Dr. Holstein representing National Parents Organization. The proposed bill is the first major overhaul of the Massachusetts custody statute in decades.

Governor Patrick recently stated, “They worked together to get good consensus on where the changes in family laws ought to be and the courts were part of it, too…and [they] came to a really good piece of work … and I enthusiastically support it.”

The bill encourages parenting plans in which both parents have more than one-third of the parenting time. The ability of a parent to foster a positive relationship with the other parent would be considered a positive factor in determining parenting time, while interference with the other parent’s access to the child or attempting to involve the child through manipulation would be considered negative factors. These provisions will help prevent parental alienation. At the same time, the bill preserves judicial discretion, the best interest of the child standard, and protections against domestic violence.

“Governor Patrick’s leadership continues to place Massachusetts in the forefront of progressive social legislation,” said Holstein. He noted that in 2004, Massachusetts voters showed overwhelming support (86%) for shared parenting as the preferred outcome if both parents are fit and if there has been no domestic violence. “We now have the researchers, the public, the Governor, and all the major stakeholders in agreement on the benefits of shared parenting for children of divorce. We hope the Legislature will pass this bill and thus help tens of thousands of Massachusetts children for years to come.”

Media Sources
If your organization is interested in covering National Parental Alienation Awareness Day and the historic overhaul of custody law being advanced in Massachusetts, please feel free to contact the following sources for comment to support your reporting:

Ned Holstein, MD, MS
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.

Contact Ned Holstein
Telephone: 617.429.8901
Email: nedholstein@nationalparentsorganization.org

Jill Egizii Jill Egizii is president of the Parental Alienation Awareness Organization (PAAO – USA). In addition, she is an elected official in her home state of Illinois, and she serves on the Illinois Family Law Study Committee. She also has been an advocate for the creation of a White House Council for Men and Boys.

Jill hosts a radio and television show titled Family Matters with her co-host Judge Michele Lowrance. She also has been on the United Cerebral Palsy Board and Executive Committee for 17 years and is a strong voice for children and adults with disabilities. She is the author of the novel “The Look of Love” which deals with parental alienation and divorce. She is the mother of 4 children experiencing parental alienation.

Contact Jill Egizii Telephone: 217.652.5505 Email: jill.egizii@paaousa.org

About National Parents Organization National Parents Organization, a charitable and educational 501 (c)(3) organization, seeks family law reform that establishes equal rights and responsibilities for fathers and mothers of divorce and 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. Visit National Parents Organization website at www.nationalparentsorganization.org

NATIONAL PARENTS ORGANIZATION

PRESS RELEASE

January 9, 2014

MEDIA SOURCE: CHAIR NED HOLSTEIN AVAILABLE FOR COMMENT
ON FAMILY COURT DOCUMENTARY DIVORCE CORP.

BOSTON – National Parents Organization is pleased to contribute to the growing dialogue surrounding the anticipated release of Divorce Corp., a documentary film that portrays the divorce industry as a “big business” that damages families. Divorce Corp. is set to be released in theaters across the nation on January 10, 2014.

“This film has the potential to accelerate much needed family court reform across our nation,” said Ned Holstein, MD, MS, Founder and Chair of the National Parents Organization. “The movie creates an opportunity for people of good faith to unite for the benefit of our children who continue to feel the negative impacts of our broken family court system.”

As an expert source on family court reform, as well as the damage the current system can have on children, Dr. Holstein is available to discuss the larger issues at play in this documentary film. Additionally, he can speak to the benefits of shared parenting when it comes to the health and well-being of children of divorce or separation.

“One of the best things about this film is that it presents an alternative — a living, functioning alternative, as currently practiced in Scandinavian countries, with shared parenting and without profiteering,” Holstein said.

About Ned Holstein, MD, MS

A regular contributor to local and national media, Dr. Holstein is Founder and Chairman of the Board of the National Parents Organization. In addition, Dr. Holstein was appointed by the Governor of Massachusetts to the Massachusetts Working Group on Child Friendly Family Law, and he was 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.

Contact Ned Holstein
Telephone: 617.429.8901
Email: nedholstein@nationalparentsorganization.org

About National Parents Organization

National Parents Organization, a charitable and educational 501 (c)(3), is focused on helping children by promoting shared parenting, where both parents have equal standing after a separation or divorce. National Parents Organization recognizes that preserving a strong bond between children and both their parents is critically important to children’s emotional, mental, and physical health. Visit the National Parents Organization website at www.nationalparentsorganization.org