January 14, 2016
By Ned Holstein, MD, MS, Founder, Chair of the Board and Acting Executive Director
John Clapp, a key figure in the Connecticut group Shared Parenting Council (SPC), reports a variety of accomplishments in 2015. For more information, see their website and blog at sharedparentinginct.org.
John discussed child support enforcement directly with the federal Office of Child Support Enforcement, which makes rules that the state offices of child support enforcement must follow. He reports that they are trying to eliminate unreasonably high child support orders.
John also met with a half dozen Connecticut legislators in December to educate them about shared parenting issues.
The SPC has also submitted a detailed proposal on Guardian Ad Litem (GAL) reform to the Judicial Branch, which is considering changes.
See http://www.jud.ct.gov/GALSubcommitteeDraftReport.pdf Others won Channel 8 WTNH News coverage of GAL issues and also denial of parenting time. They also obtained exposure on a billboard in the New Haven area.
SPC lobbied to modify Senator Kissel’s Senate Bill No. 659 to establish a rebuttable presumption of shared parenting for both custody and child support decisions during temporary orders.
In January, 2015, SPC lobbied the Regulations Review Committee to get the presumption of shared parenting into Connecticut’s child support guidelines.
Kudos to John Clapp and others for their hard and effective work! Others should join in to help grow the power and clout of these efforts.
Ned Holstein, MD, MS
Founder and Acting Executive Director
National Parents Organization