Every child has a right to the loving guidance and support of both parents. Ohio, like other states, has adopted laws, practices, and public policies that do not protect this right, and sometimes actively undermine it. Fathers and Families of Ohio has been formed to address this problem and to bring to Ohio the gains that Fathers and Families has achieved in many other states.  We have already been instrumental in blocking legislation that would have raised child support levels dramatically without addressing many of the problems in the current child support law.  Click to read more about Ohio Senate Bill 292.  We were also instrumental in the passage of a bill introduced by Representative Cliff Rosenberger (R-Clarksville) that protects deployed service personnel from having their custodial status altered while they are deployed.  Click to read more about House Bill 121.

We're committed to the following:

• Presumption of Shared Parenting: Children of divorce or separation should be permitted to have as full a relationship with each parent as possible. We seek to create a law under which each custody case begins with a legal presumption of shared parenting and moves to sole custody only if it is necessary to protect children.  We have a specific legislative proposal to bring this about and we’re actively working with Senator Frank LaRose and Senator John Eklund to get this bill introduced and passed.
• Parenting-Time Enforcement: Research shows that many non-residential parents in Ohio have difficulty exercising their court-ordered parenting time because of interference by the other parent. We are working with the Ohio Fatherhood Commission, the Ohio Judicial Council, the Ohio Child Support Directors Association, and selected legislators to provide a prompt, low-cost, effective solution to this problem. We have a concrete legislative proposal for addressing this problem.
• Child Support:  We’re working with the Ohio Office of Child Support and with state legislators to ensure that proposed child support legislation is reasonable and fair.
• Self Support Reserve:  Ohio law needs to be corrected so that child support obligations do not drive the paying parent into poverty. Current law doesn't benefit children financially and it often drives a parent who would otherwise be involved in his children's lives underground. We are working with Senator Bill Seitz to get this change incorporated into a bill that will be introduced soon. 
• Child Support for Shared Parenting:  When parents are sharing in the raising of their children, their child support obligations should be treated equally. This is not true under current law. We have a specific legislative proposal to ensure that parents are treated equally in this respect. Senator Bill Seitz is working with us to get this legislation introduced.

These are just a few of the many issues that Fathers and Families of Ohio is working on right now, and we want you to be a part of it. To volunteer your time and talents, please click here.

Making political change costs money. To contribute to Fathers and Families of Ohio, please click here.

The changes we seek won't come easily, but with your help, they will come.

Together with you in the love of our children,

Donald C. Hubin, Ph.D., Chairman, Fathers and Families of Ohio Executive Committee
Paul Lee, Esq., Member, Fathers and Families of Ohio Executive Committee
Steven J. Kokensparger, Esq., Member, Fathers and Families of Ohio Executive Committee
Terry Kee, Member, Fathers and Families of Ohio Executive Committee
Alyssa Streller, Member, Fathers and Families of Ohio Executive Committee