NATIONAL PARENTS ORGANIZATION | MEDIA STATEMENT
January 19, 2018
Following the Washington Post’s editorial on shared parenting in Maryland, Ned Holstein, MD, Founder and Board Chair of National Parents Organization, issues the following statement:
“We applaud the Washington Post editorial board’s recognition that ‘There are clear benefits to shared parenting’ and appreciate their efforts to highlight the importance of this issue for millions of children. On the other hand, we must disagree with two of its assertions. The editorial states that shared parenting legislation removes judicial discretion and creates a “one-size-fits-all” child custody law. This overlooks the fact that all reputable shared parenting bills around the country preserve judicial discretion and acknowledge that shared parenting is inappropriate unless both parents are fit and there has been no domestic violence. The editorial is also concerned that shared parenting legislation displaces the longstanding ‘best interest of the child’ standard in family law. This cannot be true, given the overwhelming research evidence that shared parenting is precisely the arrangement that is best for most children.”
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