Sharedparenting.ie, a recently established support group based in Kilkenny, is calling for equal rights for separated parents.
Sharedparenting.ie is a non-profit voluntary group promoting the advantages for children of continued shared parenting following relationship breakdown and separation. Their primary focus is on the best interests of children.
A spokesman for sharedparenting.ie said, “We recognise the importance and benefit of having both parents continue to be actively involved in all aspects of a child’s life to maximise their full potential and we support increased involvement and inclusion of fathers in parenting. We believe that parenting is a shared responsibility between both parents and that mothers and fathers should be treated equally.”
The organisation feel that the current family law system in Ireland is somewhat antiquated and does not fully reflect modern day Irish family life. Aiming to lobby for change in legislation for shared parenting, the support group believes equal shared parental responsibility to be a primary concern of the Irish family law courts when making a parenting order in relation to a child.
“Obviously this presumption would not apply when reasonable grounds existed where it was not in the child’s best interest,” said the sharedparenting.ie spokesman. “We will also lobby for children’s rights and for the right of a child to know, to be loved and cared for equally by both parents.”
This is a particularly difficult time of the year when some children will not get to see both their parents over Christmas and is especially difficult for fathers who will not get to see their children and give them their presents.
Locally the voluntary group has the support of the Kilkenny Leader Partnership and also Minister Mary White who attended one of their meetings recently.
The website sharedparenting.ie is still under construction, but to get in contact with the group you can email them at info@sharedparenting.ie.
