“Letter: Inform judicial candidates of parenting time study”

By Don Hubin

I respond to the Tuesday Dispatch editorial “Time to rethink how, or even whether, we elect judges in Ohio?” Voters seldom have the information they need to make wise decisions concerning judicial candidates, but there’s help concerning domestic relations judges.

More than 30 years of research on child well-being strongly supports the conclusion — endorsed by common sense as well — that children of separated parents do best when parenting responsibilities and time with the children are divided roughly equally.

How can a voter know whether a candidate for family court is aware of this research and is basing decisions on it?

National Parents Organization has published a study of the parenting time guidelines of each of Ohio’s 88 counties (http://bit.ly/OhioParentingTime). These guidelines are under the direct control of the judge(s) of that county’s court.