Open Letter to National Parents
Organization
It is time to explain your actions
Part 3 – False and Misleading Information About County Orders
It is far past time for the National Parents Organization to explain why they have worked against every organization that has independently sought to bring comprehensive changes to the approaches that states take to custody laws across the county.
With your appointment of Don Hubin, as your new Interim Executive Director, the responsibility of answering these questions now falls directly on his shoulders. Dodging or failing to answer for the organization's actions will further show that it is the intent of the National Parents Organization to drag the much-needed changes out for years into the future. All information that I am basing these questions that have come from others that have had the misfortune of had the organization interfere with numerous efforts across the country.
Let us now address that you claimed to be a groundbreaking study on local orders in Ohio. I really found this claim to be extra false since you admitted at the Interested Parties meeting (October 2017)that you had never even looked at them after I told everyone that I had. Then when you do the report you failed to provide correct analysis of those orders and did not look at all the inconsistencies that exist even in the individual counties. Extremely sloppy and shameful work for someone that claims to have a Ph.D.
National Parents Organization Ohio Family Court Study Reveals Severe Inequity in Parenting Plans
by Donald C. Hubin, Ph.D.
National Parents Organization has completed a study—the first of its kind—of the parenting time guidelines of each of Ohio’s 88 county courts of domestic relations. These guidelines are intended to guide divorcing parents in setting a parenting time schedule for their children and, often, are explicitly presented as default schedules, “for parents who cannot agree otherwise.” Because these guideline schedules have a significant effect on the schedules parents agree on and those imposed when parents do not agree, they are important factors in shaping the actual parenting of children of divorced parents.
A large and compelling body of recent scientific research shows that children of separated parents benefit from substantially equal parenting time with each parent. (See “NPO Shared Parenting Research Resources” for citations and links.) This means that the defaults that courts set in place are important in promoting the best interest of children. And, importantly, the research established that this is true even for infants and toddlers and even when parents are in (non-violent) high-conflict relationships.
NPO’s study focused on “ordinary parenting time”, meaning non-holiday/non-vacation time. This is time that’s vital to establishing a true parent/child relationship. Furthermore, it was restricted to the guidelines that courts apply to parents living in close proximity, based on the individual court’s definition of that term.
The results of NPO’s study, reported in the “NPO Ohio Parenting Time Report” are shocking! Ohio Counties vary widely—indeed, wildly—in their parenting time guidelines.
· Sixty-four of Ohio’s 88 counties have a parenting schedule that allows the children only two overnights and 60 hours or less with one of their parents in a two-week period. This means that the children are with their non-residential parent less than 20% of the ordinary parenting time. None of these counties’ schedules provide for the children to be with the non-residential parent on a school night. (One other Ohio county provides a schedule only slightly enhanced from this outdated model, by adding one additional overnight with the non-residential parent in a two-week period. This still accords the children just 20% of ordinary parenting time with one of their parents.)
· Thirteen Ohio counties provide default schedules that allow the children 4-5 overnights with the non-residential parent and substantially more time with the non-residential parent, between 25% and 30%.
· Only three Ohio counties provide default schedules that allow the children equal, or nearly equal, time with each parent.
The wide variation, alone, undermines any claim to Ohio counties’ parenting time schedules being based on research about what parenting arrangements promote child wellbeing. It is just not believable that, for children in Sandyville, Ohio (Tuscarawas County), it is presumptively in their best interest to be with their separated parents equal amounts of time but for children in Magnolia, Ohio (Carroll County)—just four miles away—it is presumptively in their best interest to see one of their parents only every 12 days, and then only for two days.
Ohio counties are also divided over whether children’s interests are served by parenting time guidelines that are age-sensitive or not. Forty-one counties have age-sensitive schedules, though some are minimally sensitive to children’s ages; forty-seven counties impose the same schedules on children of all ages, from birth to 18 years.
Surprisingly, 39 Ohio counties still use the outdated language of ‘visitation’ to talk about all of the time that the children are in the care and physical custody of one of their parents.
Using county population data from the U.S. Census Bureau, NPO estimated that 60% of Ohio families are subjected to parenting time guidelines that allow children just two overnights in a two week period with one of their parents. Only 2% of Ohio families reside in counties whose guidelines allow children equal, or nearly equal, time with both of their fit and loving parents.
Ohio courts are directed to make decisions about parenting time in the best interest of the children. NPO’s study demonstrates that most Ohio domestic relations courts do not have parenting time guidelines that research shows are in children’s best interest.
Don Hubin is the Director for the Center for Ethics and Human Values at the Ohio State University. He is a Member of the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors at National Parents Organization and the Chair of the Ohio Affiliate.
Anyone that wants to see the correct breakdown of Ohio’s Local orders can read them here.
Ray R. Lautenschlager
National Legislative Director
Ohio Family Rights
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Donald C. Hubin, PhD, Ohio, Interim Chair DonHubin@nationalparentsorganization.org · Director, Center for Ethics and Human Values, The Ohio State University · University of California, Davis, University of Arizona |
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Philip Dyk, Connecticut · Partner, Alinda Capital Partners · Claremont McKenna College |
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Robert A. Franklin, JD, Texas, Journalist for National Parents Organization · National Parents Organization's 'featured columnist' · Formerly Executive Editor, Houston Law Review · University of Houston |
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Matt Hale, MBA, Kentucky · Architectural Sales, Spohn Associates · Bradley University, University of Louisville |
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Benny Hau, MD, California · Medical Director, Physician Assistant Program; Assistant Professor, School of Allied Health, Loma Linda University · Yale University, Loma Linda University |
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Linda Reutzel, Missouri · Owner/CFO FGR Mechanical, Inc. · Southeast Missouri State University |
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Management |
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Ginger Gentile, California, Deputy Executive Director · Activist filmmaker, public speaker and media strategist dedicated to building large coalitions that support making divorce and separation healthier for children. · Her previous, Erasing Dad, (Borrando a Papa, 2014) caused joint custody to be enacted in Argentina. · Third feature documentary, Erasing Family, premiering in the fall of 2019, exposes the trauma children suffer when a loving parent is erased from their lives after divorce and is told from the children's point of view. · Columbia University |
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Lianna Mika, Massachusetts, Office Manager · Manages National Parents Organization's files, database, and general office |
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Executive Directors Emeriti |
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Ned Holstein, MD, MS, Founder and Chairman Emeritus · Nationally recognized expert on the effects of the environment on human health · Founded Fathers and Families, now National Parents Organization, in 1998 to reform the family courts · Harvard College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine |
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Daniel B. Hogan, JD, PhD · Management consultant and author of four books on the regulation of psychotherapists · Yale University, Harvard Law School and Department of Psychology |
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Glenn Sacks, MA · Leading voice for family court reform · University of California, Los Angeles |
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Rita Fuerst Adams, MBA · More than thirty years' experience in not-for-profit management, organizational development, and fundraising · Capital University, Ohio University |
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California |
Nazly Behnia |
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Georgia |
Jason Ibarra |
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Legislative Liaison |
David James |
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Florida |
Dawn Endria McCarty |
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Hawaii |
Tina Lia |
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Idaho |
Jerry Papin |
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Illinois |
William Cozzi |
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Kansas |
Will Mitchell |
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Vice-Chair |
Chris Batcheller |
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Kentucky |
Matt Hancock |
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Vice-Chair |
Jason Griffith |
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Director of Women's Outreach |
Alexandra Beckman |
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Clinical Director of Family Preservation |
Jen Warawa |
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Maryland |
Andrew Marshall |
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Massachusetts |
Ned Holstein |
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Coordinator |
Richard Fucillo |
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Missouri |
Linda Reutzel |
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New
York |
Clayton Craddock |
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North
Carolina |
Dustin Long |
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Vice-Chair |
Michelle Capps |
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Military Liaison |
April Kirk |
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Ohio |
Don Hubin |
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Pennsylvania |
Stephen Meehan |
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Texas |
Chris Piper |
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Director of Legislative Affairs |
Dave Edmondson |
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Director of Media and Communications |
Miles Olson |
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Utah |
David Daniels |
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Chairman of Legislative Affairs |
Dan Deuel |
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Virginia |
Christian Paasch |
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Co-Chair |
Kristen Paasch |
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Washington |
Dan Hund |
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West
Virginia |
Chad Phillips |
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Vice-Chair |
Dakota Collins |
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Social Media & Women's Outreach |
Samantha Smith |
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Wisconsin |
Tony Bickel |
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California |
Nazly Behnia |
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Georgia |
Jason Ibarra |
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Legislative Liaison |
David James |
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Hawaii |
Tina Lia |
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Idaho |
Jerry Papin |
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Illinois |
William Cozzi |
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Kansas |
Will Mitchell |
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Vice-Chair |
Chris Batcheller |
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Kentucky |
Matt Hancock |
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Vice-Chair |
Jason Griffith |
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Director of Women's Outreach |
Alexandra Beckman |
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Clinical Director of Family Preservation |
Jen Warawa |
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Maryland |
Andrew Marshall |
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Massachusetts |
Ned Holstein |
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Coordinator |
Richard Fucillo |
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Missouri |
Linda Reutzel |
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New York |
Josh Blumenthal |
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Co-Chair |
Clayton Craddock |
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North Carolina |
Dustin Long |
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Ohio |
Don Hubin |
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Pennsylvania |
Stephen Meehan |
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Texas |
Dave Edmondson |
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Utah |
David Daniels |
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Chairman of Legislative Affairs |
Dan Deuel |
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Virginia |
Christian Paasch |
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Co-Chair |
Kristen Paasch |
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Washington |
Dan Hund |
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West Virginia |
Chad Phillips |
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Vice-Chair |
Dakota Collins |
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Social Media & Women's Outreach |
Samantha Smith |
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