MY TURN: Shared parenting would fix family courts

By Paul M. Clements | Special to Statehouse Report

South Carolina’s family court system has long been broken and rampant with parental inequality that damages children raised by single parents.

Fortunately, state legislators currently have the opportunity to begin mending the system in a way that, hands down, works in the best interest of children and parents.

South Carolina is one of at least 17 states across the nation currently considering shared parenting legislation that would work toward ending the status quo family court practice of awarding sole custody to one parent while deeming the other parent a “visitor.” Sponsors of the bill  – S. 151 – advocate that we replace this 1950s model of determining custody with one that countless research suggests is best for children: shared parenting.

The presumption of shared parenting – an arrangement where parents are treated as equally in divorce as they are in marriage – is most beneficial to children.

In fact, simply put, shared parenting is a win for all involved. First, when it comes to children, the research is clear: shared parenting is the best custody arrangement for children whose parents live apart. In the past year alone, three groups of child development experts separately endorsed shared parenting for the positive ways the arrangement affects a child’s development. For instance, 110 child development experts signed a paper – a rare event in social science – published by the American Psychological Association titled “Social Science and Parenting Plans for Young Children: A Consensus Report” that concluded, “shared parenting should be the norm for parenting plans for children of all ages, including very young children.” In addition, experts from more than 20 countries at the International Council on Shared Parenting concluded, “There is a consensus that shared parenting is a viable post-divorce parenting arrangement that is optimal to child development and well-being, including for children of high conflict parents.”

Outside of research supporting shared parenting, federal statistics unfortunately detail the devastating effects of single parenting. The data shows that children of single parents are significantly at risk. Consider that, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Census Bureau, the 35 percent of children raised by single parents account for 63 percent of teen suicides, 71 percent of high school drop-outs, 75 percent of children in chemical abuse centers and 85 percent of those in prison.

The benefits of shared parenting don’t end with children. When parents are treated equally, conflict – along with legal costs – significantly drops. And to boot, shared parenting is free to the taxpayer.

Despite the overwhelming evidence in favor of shared parenting, a recent study from National Parents Organization shows that South Carolina, like most states, is lagging behind. The organization’s inaugural Shared Parenting Report Card issued each state’s child custody statutes a grade, and South Carolina scored a disappointing D.

If passed, S. 151 could raise the state’s grade. Specifically, the bill proposes revamping the state’s child custody law with language stating courts must consider awarding each parent equal parenting time and equal decision-making authority unless abuse or neglect is an issue.

Shared parenting is the common sense answer to what ails our state’s failing family court system, and I hope our state legislators will advocate for the best interests of South Carolina families by passing S. 151. I urge our state legislators to stand up for the future of South Carolina families by passing this overdue and necessary reform.

Paul M. Clements of Gaffney is a member of the South Carolina affiliate of the National Parents Organization.