Grand Forks Herald | 06/01/2006 | CHILD CUSTODY: Whose best interest?
Committee opposes new custody initiatives
By Lisa Gibson
Herald Staff Writer
A group of North Dakotans will announce the formation of a new committee to combat a pair of child custody initiatives at a press conference Friday in Bismarck.
The Concerned Citizens for Children’s Rights Committee opposes the two initiatives, drafted separately by different Grand Forks-area groups, which are part of a national movement to change the way child custody decisions are made in family court. The Shared Parenting Initiative and the Family Law Reform Initiative seek to make it easier for fit fathers to gain custody of their children.
Under the Shared Parenting Initiative, by Mitchell Sanderson, Grand Forks, parents would work out a plan upon their divorce to outline physical custody of the children. If the parents cannot agree on a plan, the court would help create one. It also states that a parent will not be denied custody unless they are determined unfit by the same standards that terminate parental rights in North Dakota.
The Family Law Reform Initiative, by Roland Riemers, Emerado, N.D., is similar, but would require couples to sign prenuptial agreements, limit child support payments and eliminate penalties for parents who fail to pay them.
The Concerned Citizens for Children’s Rights Committee, in announcing its news conference, said the initiatives address the best interests of parents, not children, and they could jeopardize children by perpetuating high-conflict situations.
The committee also thinks the initiatives could force victims of domestic violence to have ongoing contact with their abusers. It also is concerned that the initiatives give legal rights to parents requesting joint custody, but give no requirement that parental responsibilities be met.
A contact for the Concerned Citizens for Children’s Rights Committee declined comment.
Sanderson, of the Shared Parenting Initiative, said his initiative is “all about the best interest of the child.
“There is no justice in taking children away from a fit parent,” he said.
0 responses so far ↓
There are no comments yet...Kick things off by filling out the form below.
You must log in to post a comment.