CRISP Wishes all the Parents, Children and Families a Very Happy, Peacuful And Prosperous New Year 2009

In the United States alone, 21.2 million children (26% of all children) are growing up in a household with only one custodial parent.¹

Among Black children, 48.5% are growing up with a single custodial parent.²

5 out of every 6 custodial parents are mothers (84%), 1 in 6 are fathers (16%).³

Poverty

Drug and Alcohol Abuse

Family Feud

Custody battles. Custody wars. Custody disputes. Conflict has become so ubiquitous in family law that it is difficult for anyone not to think of it once the word "custody" is mentioned. The initial assumption is that this stems from the parties. That assumption is questionable.
To be sure, there is often (but by no means always) anger and bitterness during the breakup of a relationship. But displeasure does not necessarily breed dispute. Why do so many people who were once extraordinarily happy together end up in such deep conflict? The answer may be that the custody laws—not the people—are to blame.

Conflict arises when people believe they are being treated unfairly. And treating people unfairly is the hallmark of the family courts, where judges actually announce that they are not concerned with fairness to parents. They claim this is permissible as a result of their statutory duty to address the needs of the child, but the fact is children need their parents to be treated fairly. Especially in view of the marked limitations in accurately rating or measuring parenting abilities, each individual—absent true harm—should have an absolute right to 50 percent time with his or her children. That would instantly decrease custody conflicts.

A Journey Through Fatherhood and Divorce

By Alec Baldwin with Mark Tabb

Alec Baldwin is responsible for two of the greatest short bits of comedy ever to appear on television. The first is the 1998 “Saturday Night Live” skit in which he is Pete Schweddy, the owner of the holiday bakery Season’s Eatings. Schweddy appears on a National Public Radio talk show to discuss his Christmas goodies — zucchini bread, fruitcake and, of course, his bakery’s most famous holiday treat, typically rum-based. “No one can resist” this delectable Schweddy treat, Baldwin intones with the sobriety of an undertaker. It’s sophomoric in print, and brilliant on the screen.

With divorce rates increasing in the country, grandparents in the city are now demanding visitation rights.

It's been close to two years since Esha Agarwal met her only granddaughter, Amita. The child has been the centre of a very bitter custody dispute and Esha's daughter-in-law has refused to let Amita visit her paternal grandparents.

"No one pays any heed to the suffering of paternal grandparents. We also deserve to be a part of Amita's life," said Esha.

Nearly 20 divorce cases are filed everyday and an average of 11,000 such cases is pending in family courts. Techie Balamurugan returned from a three-month US-based project to be served a divorce notice. It has been close to two years and he hasn't been able to visit his children aged 10 and eight. "My children have changed schools three times because I was allowed to meet them for a few minutes by the previous school managements," he said.

The Hindu Business Line, Hindustan Times, The Hindu, Outlook India, DNA India,Manorama Online,

BANGALORE: "How long can sweetened lollipops replace a need for father" asks a 60-year-old grandmother whose little granddaughter is handed over a lollipop by her mother every time she wants to know about the whereabouts of her father who is fighting a custody battle for the child.

Neha, is among the scores of grandparents, questioning the legality of the system whereby long drawn out custody cases between spouses were taking a toll on their patience and subjecting them to mental trauma of waiting to be reunited with their grandchildren.

Neha, who is part of Child Rights Initiative for Shared Parenting (CRISP), a newly-formed organisation that demands equal right of parenting in divorced cases, says the bitter fight between spouses often leaves grandparents and children as innocent victims for little or no fault of theirs.

AHMEDABAD: A Muslim man was granted custody of his Hindu daughter, by a local court here, whom he had brought up as his own after finding her abandoned on a railway station 13 years ago.

Judge H K Ghayal of the fast track court in Bharuch, while pronouncing the judgement recently, observed that Sarfaraz Kadri, the foster father, does not have a criminal record and the girl, Varsha Patel alias Munni (18), staying with him was not held against her will.

Bangalore: A divorce not only wrecks havoc among the couple and separates children from their biological parents, but it also wrecks as much damage to the grandparent-grandchild relationship, denying many the right of access to the little ones, says Kumar Jahgirdar, President of the Children's Rights Initiative for Shared Parenting (CRISP). Making an appeal on behalf of grandparents who are often denied access to meeting their grandchildren, he told media that in the custody battle, between husband and wife, grandparents are among the silent sufferers as they are torn away from their little ones for no fault of theirs.

"I have not seen my grandchild for three years," said a teary-eyed grandfather whose son is currently in the middle of a custody battle for the child. "I am waiting to see my three year-old grand daughter for the past one and half years," said another grandmother.