One of the Goals of The Family Rights Coalition of Michigan is to focus attention and formulate policy recommendations for the family court judicial system, its compliance to procedure and its conduct in resolving family issues, its current evidentiary standards, and its approach to no fault divorce, unwed parents, support, foster care and child protective services. How the State can become part of the solution instead of the problem is one focus. Another is to ask what is the proper role of the family court and how can it become effective and efficient.
Following an international trend, the complexion and culture of family in the United States and Michigan is rapidly changing. The effect and impact has reached crisis proportions. Meanwhile, government leaders continue to offer the same old solutions to this now evident crisis. Traditional family court and Department of Human Services tactics usually only deepen the crisis for children and families across the state.
Family is the sustaining building block of a society, socially and economically. When it comes apart, so does the society it supports. Whether a family has fractured because it failed to achieve the protections of marriage or because divorce has torn it apart, it continues as a family as far as the children are concerned. Common sense dictates that children grow, develop and thrive better when they have the benefit of nurturing from both of their parents and their extended families. Not surprisingly, social research and government statistics overwhelmingly support this expectation.
It is time that our state leaders decide to become part of the solution instead of the problem. We are proposing several key ideas to our legislature and other leaders now and give more everyday through the support of individuals like you. Here is a small list of some of the areas, which we have identified as vital to the success of our families and our state.
* All families need to have choices regarding the education of their children and opportunities to be involved in the process of their education
* Troubled need families to be helped to resolve conflicts and stay together instead of divorcing.
* Divided families need to get the support needed to keep both parents involved in nurturing their children as active, hands-on parents.
* Citizens need effective and efficient family dispute resolution mechanisms, especially those that involve minor children.
* We need to assure accountability for judges and professionals involved in family law matters.
* We need to create market force solutions for marital and family conflicts through alternative dispute resolution mechanisms. The legislature can help.
* Our leaders must eliminate or neutralize the adversarial nature of the family court system.
* As both public and private policy in Michigan, we must encourage family formation and reward families for working through disputes
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