Please Send this letter to Your Legislators
Robin Gilchrist
I am writing to you to express my opinion about PA Bill #463
concerning child custody. It is my understanding that HB 463 has been
reviewed in the House Judiciary Committee on February 4, 2010. I
strongly feel HB #463 should be passed to guarantee Pennsylvania's
children the right to have equal access to both their parents. House
Bill #463 has been with the Committee since February 2008. Children
need equal access to both parents because of the following reasons:
1. Both parents need to play an active role in their children's lives
to help them grow to be successful citizens.
2. It is in the best interest of the children involved: children are
the worst victims of a one parent family. Studies indicate that
children of single parent homes are more likely to get divorced
themselves when they get married. Furthermore, history has shown that
children of fatherless homes do worse in school, get into drugs,
alcohol, prostitution, crime etc., and eventually become a burden on
society. This usually happens when they are raised in a "broken"
family with access to only one parent. If children had access to both
parents, this trend would certainly diminish. In 2007 22% of high
school students in PA dropped out. All came from single parent homes
with minimal father involvement. In a 2007 study in the United States
and New Zealand girls without fathers in their lives began sexual
activity and promiscuity early resulting in higher incidences of
sexually transmitted disease, increased rates of teen pregnancy and
rape.
3. Children naturally love, need, want, and have a right to both
parents.
4. Pennsylvania would be joining the 30 other states that have
presumptive joint custody as law.
5.It would help to preserve Pennsylvania's families. If one parent no
longer has the unfair advantage of getting full custody of the
children, that parent would think twice before deciding to separate
or divorce. The current rate being 50% within the first 10 years of
marriage, 60% thereafter and 60% of second marriages.
6. It would enable both parents to play an active role in their
children's lives. This benefiting all involved.
7. When children have equal access to both parents they have increased
contact with Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins who can be not only
positive role models but extra sets of eyes to decrease the amount of
violence against children. According to the National Child Abuse and
Neglect Data System's most current report, Child Maltreatment 2007, of
the approximately 794,000 child abuse and neglect victims in 2007, the
largest percentage of perpetrators, nearly 80 percent (79.9 %) were
parents of the victim, including birth parents, adoptive parents, and
stepparents. Of the parents who were perpetrators, about 90 percent
(87.7) were biological parents, about 4 percent (4.2) were
stepparents, and about 1 percent (0.6) were adoptive parents. Other
relatives accounted for an additional 6.6 percent, residential staff
for 0.2 percent, and child daycare providers for 0.5 percent. An
unmarried partner of a parent accounted for 4.5 percent of
perpetrators. Victim data were analyzed by relationship to their
perpetrators. Nearly 39 percent (38.7%) of victims were maltreated by
their mother acting alone. Nearly 18 percent (17.9%) of victims were
maltreated by their father acting alone. Nearly 17 percent (16.8%)
were maltreated by both parents.
In 2007, approximately 57 percent (56.5%) of child abuse and neglect
perpetrators were women and 42 percent (42.4%) were men. For the most
part, female perpetrators were younger than male perpetrators; of the
women who were perpetrators, about 45 percent of women were younger
than 30 years of age as compared to one-third percent (34.5%) of men.
These proportions have remained consistent over the past few years.
These statistics although stunning make sense seeing how in 87% of
custody cases the mother is awarded primary custody. Making the father
a visitor at best and restriciting his ability oversee the saftey of
his children. In many cases the father is removed completely by the
mother being aloud to remove the children from close proximity of the
father at will.With little legal recoarse without a court order.
8. As victims of the current system complete the life cycle we can
begin to decrease the 160 billion dollars spent yearly to support one
parent households and strengthen the social, emotional and economic
health of our nation and it's citizens. It has also been
scientifically proven through research and study time and time again
that children do better in a joint-custody situation. The parents are
more likley to work together knowing there is nothing to lose or gain
from alienating the other parent. So why is it that our Judges don't
enforce the law fairly when it comes to custody? Why are the civil
rights of fathers and children being violated daily under the cloak of
justice. No one is immune to these injustices. Most affected are the
children. Why do bills like this have to be written?
We the undersigned on this link are asking for your support of HB 463.
Feel free to read our comments.
http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?pfcr
Sincerely,