Why is There a Fathers Rights Movement?

Equal parenting advocates like John Murtari of akidsright.org and Bev Morris, founder of the National Association of Noncustodial Moms (nancm.com) are quick to point out that mothers are also victim to bad government policy, just in smaller numbers.

Statistics show that approximately 80% of children nationwide who are not living with both of their parents are in the sole custody of their mothers. Bill Sharp, an Illinois father who lost equal custody when the mother of his children refused to cooperate with court orders, overheard his family court judge saying, "The father should not be upset because this is how it ends up in 90 per cent of the cases."

Equal parenting and fatherhood advocates say there are obstacles that don't allow them to parent their children in a full and meaningful way, if at all.

One issue is child support. Carol Rhodes describes in her book Friend of the Court, Enemy of the Family how child custody decisions are based on which parent would owe the most child support, making the state more money through Title IV. Others point to the Bradley Amendment, which keeps judges from releasing noncustodial parents from child support arrears, even if the original order was found to be unjust. There may be hope, after one man spent over a year in jail for owing child support for a child who is not his.

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