Category: Press Releases

NATIONAL PARENTS ORGANIZATION
PRESS RELEASE

August 16, 2016

National Parents Organization (NPO) congratulates the Missouri legislature and Gov. Jay Nixon for acting in the best interest of children by signing the state’s bill promoting shared parenting into law. Previously known as HB 1550, the law “creates a more equalized approach to child custody and visitation,” according to the Governor’s office. The change, which takes effect Aug. 28, is based on the overwhelming amount of research showing shared parenting, or 50/50 custody, after divorce is most beneficial for children’s health and wellbeing, as well as parental and gender equality.

“Children need and benefit from having both parents actively involved in their lives,” said Rep. Kathryn Swan, who supported the bill. “The shared parenting bill is a child-centered bill. It prohibits courts from adopting a cookie-cutter default custody order or plan. Instead, the parent work schedules, residence, location of the school, etc. are determining factors in developing a parenting plan that best meets the needs of the individual child or children.”

Prior to the Governor signing the proposal into law, the shared parenting bill unanimously passed the Senate, was supported in the House 154-2 and was studied by a subcommittee led by Patricia Scaglia, chair of the Missouri Bar Family Law Section Council.

“Thank you, Gov. Nixon and Missouri legislators, for bringing state child custody laws in line with the latest research showing that most children desperately want and need shared parenting after divorce or separation,” said Dr. Ned Holstein, founder of National Parents Organization. “Too many families have suffered from the family courts’ outdated preference for giving sole custody to one parent. Instead of setting up parents for a bitter and unnecessary custody battle, shared parenting allows families to heal from the pain of divorce and separation from a position of equality and co-parenting.”

By passing the law, Missouri begins to move shared parenting – a flexible arrangement where children spend as close to equal time as possible with each parent, when both parents are fit – from the exception to the norm. In the past couple of years, a handful of states, including Utah, South Dakota and Minnesota, have added laws that encourage shared parenting, and more than 20 states have considered similar proposals.

“As someone who has seen first-hand how our current family court system unnecessarily tears families apart, I see the new law as a first step on the road toward ensuring that all Missouri children thrive when their parents divorce or separate,”said mother and grandmother Linda Reutzel, a National Parents Organization of Missouri member. “Once the law is in place, we hope attorneys and judges will stick to the original intent and act in the best interest of children.”

RECENT RESEARCH: SHARED PARENTING VERSUS SINGLE PARENTING

Shared Parenting Data

·      The Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health published a 150,000-person study titled “Fifty moves a year: Is there an association between joint physical custody and psychosomatic problems in children?” in May 2015 that concluded shared parenting after divorce or separation is in the best interest of children’s health because the arrangement lowers their stress levels.

·      The Journal of the American Psychological Association published a paper titled “Social Science and Parenting Plans for Young Children: A Consensus Report” in 2014, and the conclusions were endorsed by 110 eminent authorities around the world. Authored by Dr. Richard Warshak at the University of Texas, the paper concluded, “… shared parenting should be the norm for parenting plans for children of all ages, including very young children.”

·      The Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC) published the recommendations of 32 family law experts in 2014, and the group concluded, “Children’s best interests are furthered by parenting plans that provide for continuing and shared parenting relationships that are safe, secure, and developmentally responsive and that also avoid a template calling for a specific division of time imposed on all families.”

Single Parenting Data

According to federal statistics from sources including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, 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 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.

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. 

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

July 26, 2016

BOSTON — National Parents Organization (NPO) congratulates the Massachusetts House for acting in the best interest of children by passing the state’s shared parenting bill on July 23. Known as the Child-Centered Family Law, H4544 draws attention to the overwhelming amount of research showing shared parenting after divorce – a key provision of the proposal – is most beneficial for children’s health and wellbeing, as well as parental and gender equality.

NPO urges the Massachusetts Senate and Gov. Charlie Baker to follow the House’s lead and pass the bill into law. In doing so, Massachusetts would join the growing number of states relying on research and common sense to move shared parenting – a flexible arrangement where children spend as close to equal time as possible with each parent – from the exception to the norm. More than 20 states have considered similar proposals, with a shared parenting law enacted in Missouri earlier this month. Additionally, a vast majority of Massachusetts voters have endorsed shared parenting as the preferred outcome if both parents are fit.

“In recent years, the mounting evidence that children want and need both mom and dad in their lives after divorce now puts the matter beyond reasonable doubt. Simply put, the best interest of a child and shared parenting are one and the same in the average case,” said National Parents Organization Founder and Board Chair Ned Holstein, M.D., who served on the Massachusetts Working Group on Child-Centered Family Law – the group that drafted the legislation. “Given this research, I urge the Massachusetts Senate to move H4544 forward as soon as possible.”

RECENT RESEARCH: SHARED PARENTING VERSUS SINGLE PARENTING

Shared Parenting Data

•   The Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health published a 150,000-person study titled “Fifty moves a year: Is there an association between joint physical custody and psychosomatic problems in children?” in May 2015 that concluded shared parenting after divorce or separation is in the best interest of children’s health because the arrangement lowers their stress levels.

•   The Journal of the American Psychological Association published a paper titled “Social Science and Parenting Plans for Young Children: A Consensus Report” in 2014, and the conclusions were endorsed by 110 eminent authorities around the world. Authored by Dr. Richard Warshak at the University of Texas, the paper concluded, “… shared parenting should be the norm for parenting plans for children of all ages, including very young children.”

•   The Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC) published the recommendations of 32 family law experts in 2014, and the group concluded, “Children’s best interests are furthered by parenting plans that provide for continuing and shared parenting relationships that are safe, secure, and developmentally responsive and that also avoid a template calling for a specific division of time imposed on all families.”

Single Parenting Data

According to federal statistics from sources including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, 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 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.

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. 

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

NATIONAL PARENTS ORGANIZATION
PRESS RELEASE

July 20, 2016

BOSTON, MA – With National Parents’ Day approaching on Sunday, July 24, National Parents Organization urges citizens and legislators nationwide to recognize the day by supporting shared parenting legislation in numerous states.

In 1994, President Bill Clinton established the fourth Sunday of every July as Parents’ Day, intended for “recognizing, uplifting, and supporting the role of parents in the rearing of children,” according to the Congressional resolution. The bipartisan, multiracial and interfaith coalition of religious, civic and elected leaders aimed to promote responsible parenting and draw attention to parental role models, especially for our nation’s children.

Seemingly inherent in the creation of this national day of commemoration is the idea that both parents – mothers and fathers – play an equally vital role in a child’s upbringing, a reality that is reflected in family law reforms currently being considered in more than 20 states, according to The Wall Street Journal.

“The evidence showing shared parenting is in the best interest of children when parents divorce or separate is now overwhelming. With this in mind, backing family law reform that seeks to move shared parenting from rare to common in divorce courtrooms is a terrific way to support ‘the best possible environment’ for children,” said Dr. Ned Holstein, MD, MS, Founder and Board Chair of National Parents Organization.

Efforts to turn shared parenting – a flexible arrangement where children spend as close to equal time as possible with each parent – from the exception into the norm have recently gained traction in Missouri, where Gov. Jay Nixon recently signed into law a bill encouraging judges to order shared parent custody agreements. The bill also includes outlines for joint custody arrangements and prevents family courts from deeming one parent more qualified based on gender. According to Dr. Holstein, supporting similar statewide legislation in your community is the best way to honor parents and children on this day.

“Millions of American children are suffering from the outmoded practices of the family courts awarding custody to just one parent, with only a few days per month of parenting time with the other parent. This custody model is not in the best interest of most children. It causes heartache for children, who ardently desire the love and guidance of both parents. And such children do more poorly in school, have higher rates of substance abuse, drop out more frequently, and have higher rates of delinquency, gang activity and trouble with the law,” Dr. Holstein said. “This National Parents’ Day, let’s work together to help give children of single parents what they most want and need – the constant love and support of both parents.”

RECENT RESEARCH: SHARED PARENTING VERSUS SINGLE PARENTING

Shared Parenting Data

•   The Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health published a 150,000-person study titled “Fifty moves a year: Is there an association between joint physical custody and psychosomatic problems in children?” in May 2015 that concluded shared parenting after divorce or separation is in the best interest of children’s health because the arrangement lowers their stress levels.

•   The Journal of the American Psychological Association published a paper titled “Social Science and Parenting Plans for Young Children: A Consensus Report” in 2014, and the conclusions were endorsed by 110 eminent authorities around the world. Authored by Dr. Richard Warshak at the University of Texas, the paper concluded, “… shared parenting should be the norm for parenting plans for children of all ages, including very young children.”

•   The Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC) published the recommendations of 32 family law experts in 2014, and the group concluded, “Children’s best interests are furthered by parenting plans that provide for continuing and shared parenting relationships that are safe, secure, and developmentally responsive and that also avoid a template calling for a specific division of time imposed on all families.”

Single Parenting Data

According to federal statistics from sources including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, 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 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.

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 atwww.nationalparentsorganization.org.

NATIONAL PARENTS ORGANIZATION

PRESS RELEASE

June 21, 2016

BOSTON — National Parents Organization applauds the Boston Globe for supporting Massachusetts’ Child-Centered Family Law bill and urges legislators to support the best interests of children by following the Globe’s advice and passing H4107, that was previously known as both S834 and H1207.

In the June 20 Globe editorial “Repeat After Us: Pass these Worthy Bills,” the editorial board wrote, “Massachusetts’ child custody laws are outdated. The Child-Centered Family Law billacknowledges a widely held belief that isn’t always reflected in court orders: Children benefit from spending significant time with both parents. The legislation would encourage family-court judges to grant parents shared custody, with a child spending at least one-third of the time with each parent.”

Dr. Ned Holstein, M.D., Founder and Board Chair of Boston-based National Parents Organization, said, “As the clock ticks on this legislative session, the most pressing need for the children of Massachusetts is passage of the Child-Centered Family Law. Thank you, Boston Globe editorial board, for rightly urging legislators to make the best interests of children a top priority. We’ve long known that children desperately want and need shared parenting after divorce, and Massachusetts is long overdue for aligning our family courts with the overwhelming amount of research in favor of shared parenting.”

Almost 50 bipartisan Massachusetts legislators serve as sponsors and co-sponsors of the proposal. The proposal was born out of recommendations from the 18 distinguished stakeholders former Gov. Patrick appointed to the Massachusetts Working Group on Child-Centered Family Law, including NPO’s Dr. Holstein. 

Currently, Massachusetts courts award sole physical custody to one parent, not shared parenting, a great majority of the time after divorce. While shared parenting remains unusual nationwide, it is gaining momentum. For instance, within the past year, at least two states – Utah and Minnesota – joined the list of states with laws supportive of shared parenting. Plus, another nearly 20 states have considered similar laws, and shared parenting bills have passed the state legislature and traveled to the Governor’s desk in two states in recent months – a Florida proposal was vetoed by Governor Rick Scott, and reform in Missouri is awaiting the signature of Governor Jay Nixon.

“I can’t think of a more historic close to the end of the 2016 Massachusetts legislative session than for our state to enact the Child-Centered Family Law,” Dr. Holstein said. “It will vastly improve the lives of the smaller number of children whose parents insist on a custody battle, as well as the large number of children whose parents agree to negotiate, and who will be likely to agree on shared parenting knowing that this would be the likely outcome if they litigated instead.”

RECENT RESEARCH: SHARED PARENTING VERSUS SINGLE PARENTING

Shared Parenting Data

• The Journal of the American Psychological Association published a paper titled “Social Science and Parenting Plans for Young Children: A Consensus Report” in 2014, and the conclusions were endorsed by 110 eminent authorities around the world. Authored by Dr. Richard Warshak at the University of Texas, the paper concluded, “… shared parenting should be the norm for parenting plans for children of all ages, including very young children.”
• In 2016, Dr. Warshak wrote, “Two years after its publication, the conclusions and recommendations of the Warshak consensus report remain supported by science.” He also wrote, “The paper has been translated into at least eighteen languages and has informed legislative deliberations throughout the U.S. and parliamentary deliberations in several countries including the United Kingdom, Canada, Israel, Finland, Romania, Croatia, and Sweden. Two years after its publication, the consensus report continues to be one of the most downloaded papers from the journal’s website.” He added, “The list of endorsers and their stature and accomplishments reflect the field’s general acceptance of the consensus report’s findings as rooted in settled science from more than four decades of research directly relevant to this topic, including seminal studies by many of the endorsers.”
• The Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health published a 150,000-person study titled “Fifty moves a year: Is there an association between joint physical custody and psychosomatic problems in children?” in May 2015 that concluded shared parenting after divorce or separation is in the best interest of children’s health because the arrangement lowers their stress levels.
• The Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC) published the recommendations of 32 family law experts in 2014, and the group concluded, “Children’s best interests are furthered by parenting plans that provide for continuing and shared parenting relationships that are safe, secure, and developmentally responsive and that also avoid a template calling for a specific division of time imposed on all families.”

Single Parenting Data

According to federal statistics from sources including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, 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 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.

MEDIA SOURCE

Ned Holstein, M.D., M.S., Founder and Board Chair of National Parents Organization

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, Dr. 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

June 15, 2016

BOSTON – This Father’s Day, National Parents Organization recognizes all dads, but in particular the forgotten single dad by advocating for shared parenting as the norm, rather than the exception, when parents divorce or separate.

“Single fathers are noticed very little even though they are big — about 25% to 35% of all fathers are non-custodial, or single, dads, and a tiny percentage are sole-custody parents. Even on Father’s Day, we typically imagine the standard two-parent family,” Dr. Ned Holstein, M.D., Founder and Board Chair of National Parents Organization, said. “If we want a better life for families, lawmakers in every state must reform the family courts in ways that embrace the two-parent solution of shared parenting when parents have separated. And we must take anti-father gender bias out of the courts as well.”

Shared parenting – where children spend as close to equal time as possible with each parent after divorce or separation – remains unusual while the sole custody tradition persists. The Wall Street Journal reports, however, that nearly 20 states have recently considered shared parenting laws. Within the past year alone, at least two states, Minnesota and Utah, have joined the handful of states with laws supportive of shared parenting, and in recent months, the legislation has passed the state legislature to reach the Governor’s desk in two states, Florida and Missouri. While the Florida Governor vetoed shared parenting and alimony reform, Missouri’s Governor has yet to act on the state’s bill.

The movement toward shared parenting aligns with the research on child wellbeing. Studies consistently show that shared parenting is in the best interest of children when parents divorce or separate in most cases. As just one recent example from the past year, the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health published a 150,000-person study that concluded shared parenting is in the best interest of children’s health. Plus, federal statistics continue to show the risks children face in the absence of shared parenting. Consider that, as just a few examples, children raised by single parents are significantly more at risk of dropping out of school, landing in prison or committing suicide when compared to children with shared parenting.

“On Father’s Day, let’s remember that children do much better with actively involved single dads. The family courts must stop placing obstacles in the way of single dads or our children will continue to suffer in unprecedented numbers from their absence,” Holstein said.

RECENT RESEARCH: SHARED PARENTING VERSUS SINGLE PARENTING

Shared Parenting Data

• The Journal of the American Psychological Association published a paper titled “Social Science and Parenting Plans for Young Children: A Consensus Report” in 2014, and the conclusions were endorsed by 110 eminent authorities around the world. Authored by Dr. Richard Warshak at the University of Texas, the paper concluded, “… shared parenting should be the norm for parenting plans for children of all ages, including very young children.”

• In 2016, Dr. Warshak wrote, “Two years after its publication, the conclusions and recommendations of the Warshak consensus report remain supported by science.” He also wrote, “The paper has been translated into at least eighteen languages and has informed legislative deliberations throughout the U.S. and parliamentary deliberations in several countries including the United Kingdom, Canada, Israel, Finland, Romania, Croatia, and Sweden. Two years after its publication, the consensus report continues to be one of the most downloaded papers from the journal’s website.” He added, “The list of endorsers and their stature and accomplishments reflect the field’s general acceptance of the consensus report’s findings as rooted in settled science from more than four decades of research directly relevant to this topic, including seminal studies by many of the endorsers.”

• The Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health published a 150,000-person study titled “Fifty moves a year: Is there an association between joint physical custody and psychosomatic problems in children?” in May 2015 that concluded shared parenting after divorce or separation is in the best interest of children’s health because the arrangement lowers their stress levels.

• The Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC) published the recommendations of 32 family law experts in 2014, and the group concluded, “Children’s best interests are furthered by parenting plans that provide for continuing and shared parenting relationships that are safe, secure, and developmentally responsive and that also avoid a template calling for a specific division of time imposed on all families.”

Single Parenting Data

According to federal statistics from sources including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, 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 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.

MEDIA SOURCE

Ned Holstein, M.D., M.S., Founder and Board Chair of National Parents Organization

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, Dr. 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

June 14, 2016

National Parents Organization has invited Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon to sign the state’s shared parenting legislation during the annual Fatherless Day rally at the Missouri Capitol on Friday, June 17.

“I can’t think of a more historic moment for Missouri families than for the Governor to, with the stroke of his pen, turn an event focus away from the court-ordered fatherlessness crisis and toward the solution of shared parenting after divorce or separation,” Dr. Ned Holstein, MD, MS, Founder and Board Chair of National Parents Organization, said. “What’s more, the wonderful fathers all across the state who have been unnecessarily pushed out of their children’s lives by our broken family court system as well as their children who have suffered as a result could then look toward Father’s Day this Sunday with reason to celebrate.”

HB 1550 was sent to Gov. Nixon for signature late last month following the Missouri legislature’s overwhelming support of the bill – it unanimously passed the Senate, and the House supported it 154-2. The legislation supports shared parenting – a flexible arrangement where children spend as close to equal time as possible with each parent after divorce or separation. Fatherless Day, which is recognized with Capitol rallies throughout the country, continues to fall two days ahead of Father’s Day each year and raises awareness of our nation’s fatherlessness epidemic.

“The family court tradition of relegating loving fathers to visitor status in their children’s lives perpetuates the fatherlessness crisis, which has a devastating impact on our children. Fortunately, with HB 1150, Missouri now has the opportunity to support what research increasingly concludes – that children desperately want and need shared parenting after divorce or separation,” Dr. Holstein said.

Despite the research, shared parenting remains unusual – sole custody persists nearly 80 percent of the time, according to the U.S. Census. However, a broad trend towards shared parenting has developed in recent years. A handful of states have benefited from laws supportive of the arrangement for several years. In the past couple of years, a few more states including Utah, South Dakota and Minnesota, have added laws that encourage shared parenting. As the Wall Street Journal revealed, nearly 20 more states have considered similar proposals over the past eight months.

 
National Parents Organization of Missouri member Linda Reutzel, a mother and grandmother, said, “As someone who has seen first-hand how our current family court system contributes to fatherlessness, I can’t think of a better way to both recognize Fatherless Day and celebrate Father’s Day than for our Governor to walk up to Friday’s rally and sign HB 1550 into law.”

RECENT RESEARCH: SHARED PARENTING VERSUS SINGLE PARENTING

Shared Parenting Data

• The Journal of the American Psychological Association published a paper titled “Social Science and Parenting Plans for Young Children: A Consensus Report” in 2014, and the conclusions were endorsed by 110 eminent authorities around the world. Authored by Dr. Richard Warshak at the University of Texas, the paper concluded, “… shared parenting should be the norm for parenting plans for children of all ages, including very young children.”
• In 2016, Dr. Warshak wrote, “Two years after its publication, the conclusions and recommendations of the Warshak consensus report remain supported by science.” He also wrote, “The paper has been translated into at least eighteen languages and has informed legislative deliberations throughout the U.S. and parliamentary deliberations in several countries including the United Kingdom, Canada, Israel, Finland, Romania, Croatia, and Sweden. Two years after its publication, the consensus report continues to be one of the most downloaded papers from the journal’s website.” He added, “The list of endorsers and their stature and accomplishments reflect the field’s general acceptance of the consensus report’s findings as rooted in settled science from more than four decades of research directly relevant to this topic, including seminal studies by many of the endorsers.”
• The Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health published a 150,000-person study titled “Fifty moves a year: Is there an association between joint physical custody and psychosomatic problems in children?” in May 2015 that concluded shared parenting after divorce or separation is in the best interest of children’s health because the arrangement lowers their stress levels.
• The Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC) published the recommendations of 32 family law experts in 2014, and the group concluded, “Children’s best interests are furthered by parenting plans that provide for continuing and shared parenting relationships that are safe, secure, and developmentally responsive and that also avoid a template calling for a specific division of time imposed on all families.”

Single Parenting Data

According to federal statistics from sources including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, 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 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.

MEDIA SOURCE

Ned Holstein, M.D., M.S., Founder and Board Chair of National Parents Organization

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, Dr. 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

May 27, 2016

BOSTON — With a bill encouraging shared parenting and parental equality after divorce arriving on Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon’s desk earlier this week — Wednesday, May 25 — National Parents Organization urges the Governor to waste no time in signing the bill into law. If the Governor signs the bill, HB 1550, Missouri will join the list of states with child custody laws supportive of children experiencing the continued love and support of not just one, but both, of their parents after divorce or separation.

“Thank you, Missouri legislators, for voting to bring state child custody laws in line with the overwhelming body of research showing that most children desperately want and need shared parenting after divorce or separation,” Dr. Ned Holstein, Founder and Board Chair of National Parents Organization, said. “Too many families have suffered from the family courts’ outdated preference for giving sole custody to one parent. I urge Gov. Nixon to act on his historic opportunity to sign HB 1550 into law. Instead of setting up parents for a bitter and unnecessary custody battle, HB 1550 will allow families to heal from the pain of divorce and separation from a position of equality and co-parenting.”

Shared parenting – a flexible arrangement where children spend as close to equal time as possible with each parent after divorce or separation – remains unusual. However, a broad trend towards shared parenting has developed in recent years. A handful of states have benefited from laws supportive of the arrangement for several years. In the past couple of years, a few more states including Utah, South Dakota and Minnesota, have added laws that encourage shared parenting. As the Wall Street Journal revealed, nearly 20 more states have considered similar proposals over the past eight months.

Missouri’s HB 1550, which unanimously passed the Missouri Senate and passed the House with a 154-2 vote, works to move shared parenting from the exception to the norm in multiple ways, including that the bill:

·         Creates guidelines for parenting plans that “maximize to the highest degree the amount of time the child may spend with each parent;”

·         Requires courts to disclose why shared parenting wasn’t awarded if another arrangement is ordered;

·         Requires courts to provide written findings and conclusions in a custody case, which makes the case appealable if a party disagrees with judgement. 

·         Specifies that courts can’t “presume that a parent, solely because of his or her sex, is more qualified than the other parent;”

·         Prohibits local courts from establishing their own rules, such as having a default parenting plan.

National Parents Organization of Missouri member Linda Reutzel, a mother and grandmother, said, “As someone who has seen first-hand how our current family court system unnecessarily tears families apart, I see HB 1550 as a wonderful first step on the road toward ensuring that all Missouri children thrive when their parents divorce or separate.”

RECENT RESEARCH: SHARED PARENTING VERSUS SINGLE PARENTING

Shared Parenting Data

• The Journal of the American Psychological Association published a paper titled “Social Science and Parenting Plans for Young Children: A Consensus Report” in 2014, and the conclusions were endorsed by 110 eminent authorities around the world. Authored by Dr. Richard Warshak at the University of Texas, the paper concluded, “… shared parenting should be the norm for parenting plans for children of all ages, including very young children.”
• In 2016, Dr. Warshak wrote, “Two years after its publication, the conclusions and recommendations of the Warshak consensus report remain supported by science.” He also wrote, “The paper has been translated into at least eighteen languages and has informed legislative deliberations throughout the U.S. and parliamentary deliberations in several countries including the United Kingdom, Canada, Israel, Finland, Romania, Croatia, and Sweden. Two years after its publication, the consensus report continues to be one of the most downloaded papers from the journal’s website.” He added, “The list of endorsers and their stature and accomplishments reflect the field’s general acceptance of the consensus report’s findings as rooted in settled science from more than four decades of research directly relevant to this topic, including seminal studies by many of the endorsers.”
• The Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health published a 150,000-person study titled “Fifty moves a year: Is there an association between joint physical custody and psychosomatic problems in children?” in May 2015 that concluded shared parenting after divorce or separation is in the best interest of children’s health because the arrangement lowers their stress levels.
• The Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC) published the recommendations of 32 family law experts in 2014, and the group concluded, “Children’s best interests are furthered by parenting plans that provide for continuing and shared parenting relationships that are safe, secure, and developmentally responsive and that also avoid a template calling for a specific division of time imposed on all families.”

Single Parenting Data

According to federal statistics from sources including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, 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 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.

MEDIA SOURCE

Ned Holstein, M.D., M.S., Founder and Board Chair of National Parents Organization

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, Dr. 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

May 10, 2016

National Parents Organization celebrates the Missouri Legislature’s passage of a bill that embraces shared parenting and parental equality after divorce or separation and urges Gov. Jay Nixon to waste no time in signing HB 1550 into law so that more children can experience the continued love and support of not just one, but both, of their parents.

“Thank you, Missouri legislators, for voting to bring state child custody laws in line with the overwhelming body of research showing that most children desperately want and need shared parenting after divorce or separation,” Dr. Ned Holstein, Founder and Board Chair of National Parents Organization, said. “Too many families have suffered from the family courts’ outdated preference for giving sole custody to one parent.  I urge Gov. Nixon to act on his historic opportunity to sign HB 1550 into law. Instead of setting up parents for a bitter and unnecessary custody battle, HB 1550 will allow families to heal from the pain of divorce and separation from a position of equality and co-parenting.”

Shared parenting – a flexible arrangement where children spend as close to equal time as possible with each parent after divorce or separation – remains unusual. However, a broad trend towards shared parenting has developed in recent years. A handful of states have benefited from laws supportive of the arrangement for several years. In the past couple of years, a few more states including Utah, South Dakota and Minnesota, have added laws that encourage shared parenting. As the Wall Street Journal revealed, nearly 20 more states have considered similar proposals over the past eight months.

Missouri’s HB 1550 works to move shared parenting from the exception to the norm in multiple ways, including that the bill:

·         Creates guidelines for parenting plans that “maximize to the highest degree the amount of time the child may spend with each parent;”

·         Requires courts to disclose why shared parenting wasn’t awarded if another arrangement is ordered;

·         Requires courts to provide written findings and conclusions in a custody case, which makes the case appealable if a party disagrees with judgement. 

·         Specifies that courts can’t “presume that a parent, solely because of his or her sex, is more qualified than the other parent;”

·         Prohibits local courts from establishing their own rules, such as having a default parenting plan.

National Parents Organization of Missouri member Linda Reutzel, a mother and grandmother, said, “As someone who has seen first-hand how our current family court system unnecessarily tears families apart, I see HB 1550 as a wonderful first step on the road toward ensuring that all Missouri children thrive when their parents divorce or separate.”

RECENT RESEARCH: SHARED PARENTING VERSUS SINGLE PARENTING

Shared Parenting Data

• The Journal of the American Psychological Association published a paper titled “Social Science and Parenting Plans for Young Children: A Consensus Report” in 2014, and the conclusions were endorsed by 110 eminent authorities around the world. Authored by Dr. Richard Warshak at the University of Texas, the paper concluded, “… shared parenting should be the norm for parenting plans for children of all ages, including very young children.”

• In 2016, Dr. Warshak wrote, “Two years after its publication, the conclusions and recommendations of the Warshak consensus report remain supported by science.” He also wrote, “The paper has been translated into at least eighteen languages and has informed legislative deliberations throughout the U.S. and parliamentary deliberations in several countries including the United Kingdom, Canada, Israel, Finland, Romania, Croatia, and Sweden. Two years after its publication, the consensus report continues to be one of the most downloaded papers from the journal’s website.” He added, “The list of endorsers and their stature and accomplishments reflect the field’s general acceptance of the consensus report’s findings as rooted in settled science from more than four decades of research directly relevant to this topic, including seminal studies by many of the endorsers.”

• The Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health published a 150,000-person study titled “Fifty moves a year: Is there an association between joint physical custody and psychosomatic problems in children?” in May 2015 that concluded shared parenting after divorce or separation is in the best interest of children’s health because the arrangement lowers their stress levels.

• The Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC) published the recommendations of 32 family law experts in 2014, and the group concluded, “Children’s best interests are furthered by parenting plans that provide for continuing and shared parenting relationships that are safe, secure, and developmentally responsive and that also avoid a template calling for a specific division of time imposed on all families.”

 
Single Parenting Data

According to federal statistics from sources including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, 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 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.

MEDIA SOURCE

Ned Holstein, M.D., M.S., Founder and Board Chair of National Parents Organization

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, Dr. 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

May 6, 2016

BOSTON – At least one-third of all mothers these days are single mothers. This Mother’s Day – Sunday, May 8 – National Parents Organization honors the crucial role of single mothers, while actively supporting shared parenting after separation or divorce as the best possible arrangement for them.

Shared parenting is a flexible arrangement in which children spend as close to equal time as possible with each parent. National Parents Organization urges single moms to join the push to make shared parenting the new norm, specifically, to support legislative proposals in many states, including Missouri, that advance it.

“Caught up in the pain and anger of a divorce, it is often very hard for a parent to accept the fact that the child loves and needs the other parent too,” said Dr. Ned Holstein, Founder and Board Chair of National Parents Organization. “On top of that, the family courts are still stuck in the mindset that their job is to pick one parent to be the custodial parent. The attorneys often prey on parents by creating fears of losing custody, and also entice them with the supposed advantages of winning sole custody. These so-called ‘advantages’ include a bitter and expensive custody battle, children who do more poorly than with shared parenting, a permanently hostile ex, and a relentless ordeal of work and childcare.”

A treasure trove of research now shows that shared parenting is best for children if both parents are fit and there has been no serious domestic violence. Plus, shared parenting promotes parental equality, gives mothers and fathers equal opportunity to pursue career fulfillment, helps close the gender pay gap, allows them time to pursue personal aspirations, and allows both to be the hands-on, loving parents their children crave.

While full shared parenting remains unusual, a handful of states have had laws supportive of the arrangement for years, and at least three states, as well as Sweden and Australia, have implemented reform in recent years. Additionally, the arrangement has recently received high-profile endorsements, including support from the Catholic Church, the 2015 International Conference on Shared Parenting, and the Council of Europe. Contrary to the claims of opponents, shared parenting is overwhelmingly popular with the general public. For instance, when Massachusetts put shared parenting to a vote, an overwhelming 86 percent chose it as the best option in most cases. Similar results are found in several surveys and in formal academic research.

“Shared parenting is an all-around win,” Dr. Holstein said. “As we pause to celebrate Mother’sDay, I can’t think of a better way to help single moms than to make shared parenting the norm after separation or divorce.” 

RECENT RESEARCH: SHARED PARENTING VERSUS SINGLE PARENTING

Shared Parenting Data

• The Journal of the American Psychological Association published a paper titled “Social Science and Parenting Plans for Young Children: A Consensus Report” in 2014, and the conclusions were endorsed by 110 eminent authorities around the world. Authored by Dr. Richard Warshak at the University of Texas, the paper concluded, “… shared parenting should be the norm for parenting plans for children of all ages, including very young children.”

• In 2016, Dr. Warshak wrote, “Two years after its publication, the conclusions and recommendations of the Warshak consensus report remain supported by science.” He also wrote, “The paper has been translated into at least eighteen languages and has informed legislative deliberations throughout the U.S. and parliamentary deliberations in several countries including the United Kingdom, Canada, Israel, Finland, Romania, Croatia, and Sweden. Two years after its publication, the consensus report continues to be one of the most downloaded papers from the journal’s website.” He added, “The list of endorsers and their stature and accomplishments reflect the field’s general acceptance of the consensus report’s findings as rooted in settled science from more than four decades of research directly relevant to this topic, including seminal studies by many of the endorsers.”

• The Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health published a 150,000-person study titled “Fifty moves a year: Is there an association between joint physical custody and psychosomatic problems in children?” in May 2015 that concluded shared parenting after divorce or separation is in the best interest of children’s health because the arrangement lowers their stress levels.

• The Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC) published the recommendations of 32 family law experts in 2014, and the group concluded, “Children’s best interests are furthered by parenting plans that provide for continuing and shared parenting relationships that are safe, secure, and developmentally responsive and that also avoid a template calling for a specific division of time imposed on all families.”

Single Parenting Data

According to federal statistics from sources including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, 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 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.

MEDIA SOURCE

Ned Holstein, M.D., M.S., Founder and Board Chair of National Parents Organization

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, Dr. 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

APRIL 25, 2016

BOSTON — Amid attention surrounding National Parental Alienation Awareness Day on Monday, April 25, including Michigan Governor Rick Snyder’s honorable decision to recognize the day, National Parents Organization encourages lawmakers nationwide to join the movement to turn shared parenting from the exception to the norm when parents divorce or separate.

“Far too often, the courts order sole custody to one parent after a bitter, winner-take-all custody battle. Because the non-custodial parent often has so little time with the child, the winning parent is empowered to poison the child’s mind against the ‘absent’ parent. This creates heartbreak for child and parent,” Dr. Ned Holstein, MD, Founder and Board Chair of National Parents Organization, said. “With shared parenting, it is difficult for anyone to turn the child against a parent with whom the child experiences frequent loving care. Shared parenting decreases these tragic cases of parental alienation. I urge legislators in all states to back shared parenting.”

Numerous states, including Missouri, are considering legislation that encourages shared parenting – when children spend as close to equal time as possible with each parent following divorce or separation – rather than the usual family court outcome of sole custody. A handful of states have supported shared parenting for years, and in recent years, states including Utah, South Dakota and Minnesota have joined the movement by passing new laws promoting shared parenting.

The legislative trend aligns with breakthroughs announced late last year at the 2015 International Conference on Shared Parenting, a conference of about 120 research scientists and other experts from over 20 countries, who met in in Bonn, Germany.

The Conference concluded that “… there is mounting evidence that shared parenting can both prevent parental alienation, and is a potential remedy for existing situations of parental alienation in separated families…”

“We’ve long known that shared parenting gives children what they most want and need following separation or divorce – two, not just one, loving parents actively involved in their lives. And now we also know that if a judge orders the more harmonious two-parent model, the pain of parental alienation can often be avoided,” Dr. Holstein said. “My hope is that we can make shared parenting the norm so that one day, we can erase National Parental Alienation Awareness Day from the calendar and replace it with National Happy Children Day.”

MEDIA SOURCE

Ned Holstein, M.D., M.S., Founder and Board Chair of National Parents Organization

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, Dr. 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.