Both Parents NC is focused on children experiencing parental separation in North Carolina. Parental involvement, equal standing, and shared responsibility serve children’s wellbeing.
Goal 01
Safe, meaningful relationships
- The problem we want to address
- Separation can make maintaining dependable relationships more complicated.
- The intended benefit to children
- Our intended goal is to help children keep safe, meaningful connections with involved parents.
- The responsibility for adults
- Adults should take responsibility for dependable care and appropriate involvement.
- Limits and safety protections
- Abuse, violence, and other safety risks require protections. A relationship or schedule must never be presumed safe merely because a parent requests it.
Goal 02
Shared responsibility that works in real life
- The problem we want to address
- A calendar alone cannot account for school, work, distance, caregiving, and children’s different needs.
- The intended benefit to children
- Our intended goal is dependable care and practical continuity for children.
- The responsibility for adults
- Adults should make realistic commitments and account for the daily work of raising a child.
- Limits and safety protections
- More equal parenting time is a direction being explored where appropriate. Distance, work, disability, developmental needs, and safety can require different arrangements.
Goal 03
Children heard without carrying the conflict
- The problem we want to address
- Children can be overlooked or placed in the middle of adult disagreements.
- The intended benefit to children
- Our intended goal is for children’s experiences and age appropriate views to be heard with care.
- The responsibility for adults
- Adults should listen without coaching, pressure, or asking children to choose a parent.
- Limits and safety protections
- Children should not carry responsibility for legal decisions. Safety, developmental needs, and appropriate professional processes matter.
Goal 04
Fair processes and meaningful review
- The problem we want to address
- Families need a careful way to raise safety concerns and address changing circumstances.
- The intended benefit to children
- Our intended goal is evidence informed decisions, clear reasons, and meaningful opportunities for appropriate review.
- The responsibility for adults
- Adults should provide accurate information and comply with lawful orders.
- Limits and safety protections
- Safety concerns require serious assessment. An allegation is not a finding, and the absence of a finding is not proof of safety. These are proposed principles, not a promise of a particular legal result.
Goal 05
Clear, careful reform
- The problem we want to address
- Current law, research findings, and proposed changes are often discussed as if they are the same thing.
- The intended benefit to children
- Our intended goal is reform that can be assessed honestly through children’s needs and family circumstances.
- The responsibility for adults
- We should explain the evidence, uncertainty, and intended effects behind every recommendation.
- Limits and safety protections
- There is no finished campaign bill and no promise that a particular proposal will improve every family’s circumstances.
These goals describe the direction we are exploring. Current North Carolina law remains separate from our proposals. Read the current custody statute.
What this campaign would and would not do
We advocate for changes lawmakers can consider. We do not decide custody cases, provide legal representation, promise an individual outcome, or change existing court orders. Current law and our reform goals are separate.
Safety safeguards should address abuse, coercion, and risks to children or parents through careful assessment and appropriate court protections. Cooperation or equal time should not be imposed as a campaign expectation where unsafe.