“It’s easier to build strong children, than to repair broken men.” Frederick Douglass
Even in the best of situations, most parents who separate are often a little more emotional when thinking about custody, child support, and what impact divorce will have on their kids and their relationship with their kids. For many if not most, they are able to keep their emotions in check, and have peaceful co-parenting futures where their children can thrive in the love and support of both parents.
Unfortunately, the least bit of animosity can be all the incentive either or both parents need to contest custody. When animosity combines with the financial and or control incentives of family court and child support to win custody, everyone loses especially the children.
For low-income families where either parent receives TANF, in order to continue to qualify for assistance, they are prohibited from living together and they are required to open a child support case. This incentive pushes parents apart even though their children would be better off with them working together.
In short, systems need to stop incentivizing parental conflict and instead, reward parental cooperation for those parents who choose to be heroes with help affording extracurriculars for their children. Think sports, art, dance, or music lessons, after school programs, and most any other organized activity that both parents agree to and their children have fun with.
Colorado Resilience is creating the Parent’s Program for Stronger Families (PPSF) to reward parents who choose to be heroes for their children and work together without a child support case or minimizing either parent’s involvement.
Colorado Resilience believes that investing to keep both parents in the lives of their children, will keep families out of systems and will yield enormous benefits to children, families, communities, and taxpayers. Two parents parenting equals greater child wellbeing, stronger family resilience, and safer, more prosperous communities.
Stay tuned for more information.
