“Report: States Lack Laws to Support Equal Shared Parenting”

By Casey Leins

A THIRD OF STATES earned a D+ or worse for how well their child custody statutes encourage an arrangement where children spend equal time with both parents after divorce or separation, according to a report card released Wednesday by the National Parents Organization.

Research shows that children benefit from spending equal time with each parent, the report explained. Therefore, state laws that assume equal shared parenting, even if there is nonviolent conflict between parents, help promote a child's well-being.

According to the report, children in fatherless or single-parent families represent 63% of teen suicides, 71% of high school dropouts and 90% of homeless and runaway children.