Children's Rights Fund

Why Support the Fund?

 

The Children’s Rights Fund is a grassroots organization, as we continue to plant the seeds to support a strong foundation and future for our children, parents and families; we need your support and involvement.  The Children’s Rights Fund educates and advocates for shared parenting.

 

People are often surprised to hear that there is almost no shared parenting "joint custody" in Maryland.  In Maryland, statistics show that mothers receive sole custody 5 to 1 over fathers.  We do not seek to change that so that fathers receive sole custody.  Rather, we favor shared parenting, so that children of separated, divorced, and never-married parents have frequent and continuing contact with approximately equal access time to both their moms and dads.  The latest research clearly shows that a shared parenting arrangement is best for children in every measurable way.  Shared parenting arrangements also decrease conflict and increase cooperation between the parents.

 

As we continue to work on our shared parenting initiative, we have chosen to remove terms like “custody” and “visitation” as we focus on “legal decision making” and “parenting responsibilities and time”.  We recommend a ‘definition’ of “parenting responsibilities and time” that would ensure a shared amount of time between the child and the parent on a year-round basis.  This is a civil rights issue, which will also benefit children of same sex couples as well.  Shared Parenting “A Right of Passage and Purpose” that’s truly “Family Equality”.

 

We ask that you volunteer to help us spread the word about shared parenting plus get involved by lettering your state legislators know your views.  We need the support of mothers & fathers, women & men, teachers & professors, doctors & therapists, police officers, fire fighters, service workers, labor & unions, athletes & celebrities, minority groups and many more to help us spread the word.  Please check us out at our website, make a contribution, and contact one of us to obtain more information on how to get involved.