The Times Leader Editorial Board endorsed Ohio HB 121, a military parents child custody bill modeled in part on Fathers and Families’ California AB 2416, in its recent editorial Patriot Parents (5/23/11).
The Times Leader commended the Ohio House for passing “a bill that closes a legal loophole which stripped many military parents one of their most basic rights – the right to maintain a relationship with their children.”
They write:
The bill was modeled in part on legislation the organization Fathers and Families has helped pass in other states, including California.
Under the language in the bill, deployment cannot be considered a “change in circumstances” by the courts when considering custody and visitation matters. House Bill 121 will also authorize courts to issue orders granting grandparents, stepparents and extended families the ability to exercise a deployed soldier’s normal parenting time, allowing children to preserve bonds with their deployed parent and their families.
Those behind the bill stress that service members shouldn’t have to choose between patriotism and being a parent. This new bill will protect Ohio parents who serve their country.