Personal pain has inspired Houck to fight for laws that would favor shared parenting

At the close of this week’s Enterprise podcast, through tears, Jason Houck gave a shout-out to his two daughters.

“I love you both and hope to see you again someday,” he said.

Houck of East Berne chairs the New York Affiliate of the National Parents Organization.

His organization is pushing for changes in state law that would make it more likely, after parents divorce or separate, to have their children spend half their time with each of their parents as long as those parents are fit and loving.

Currently, he reports, the norm is that children spend 65 percent of their time with their mother and 35 percent with their father.

Houck cites a 2021 survey that shows 92 percent of New Yorkers believe “it is in a child’s best interest to have as much time as possible with each parent” and they “would be more likely to vote for a candidate who supports children spending significant, up to equal, amounts of time with each parent following separation or divorce.”

Houck’s organization has produced a report card, evaluating each state on the issue. New York was given an F as one of the two worst states along with Rhode Island.