August 22,
2007
Column #1,356
How To Slash Divorce Rates In Half
by Mike McManus
Barna released a new poll noting that during this presidential campaign that the
biggest issue is being missed by every candidate. Some 82 percent responded that
it is "absolutely necessary" to improve "the well-being of America's children."
What single factor most undermines the lives of children? The choice by millions
of their parents to not marry or to divorce. Since 1970, 35 million children
have been born out-of-wedlock and 40 million more witnessed their parents'
divorce.
Many children are scarred for life. They are three times as likely as those from
intact homes to be expelled from school or to have a baby out-of-wedlock as
those from intact families, five times as apt to live in poverty or to commit
suicide and 12 times as likely to be incarcerated.
I was asked to make a speech at "Family Preservation Day" at the Lincoln
Memorial on Sunday as President of Marriage Savers. I charged, "All Presidential
candidates say they are committed to "Family Values." What does that mean? For
example, would they support steps that could slash the American divorce rate in
half? If elected President, here are three reforms they might support to do so,
giving our children a better future:"
1. Replace No Fault Divorce with Mutual Consent Divorce
All states actually encourage divorce because the law allows one person to file
for divorce, when 80 percent of their spouses want to save the marriage. It is
called "No Fault Divorce" because no major fault must be alleged, such as
adultery or abuse. "What was entered into by two people are now being ended by
one spouse unilaterally. No Fault should be called Unilateral Divorce. This is
tragic if children are involved," I stated.
"This is a profound moral issue, Yet church leaders were either silent or
ineffectual in fighting No Fault when it swept the nation in the 1970s. And they
have made no effort in the 30 years since to change the law. The result is that
there has been one divorce for every two marriages every year since 1970. Jesus
said, `What God has joined together, let no man put asunder.' Since 1970,
America has put asunder 42 million marriages," I asserted.
.
"Presidential candidates ought to be asked if they support replacing state No
Fault laws with a federal Mutual Consent law, if children are involved and no
major faults are alleged. They could say, `Government has an interest in the
future of children, and they would be best served if their mother and father
worked out their differences.'"
2. Require Shared Parenting
If parents agree to a divorce they should have equal access to the children -
Joint Custody or Shared Parenting. Sole custody virtually removes one parent
from the lives of their children. However, of the six states which passed the
strongest Joint Custody laws, five also enjoyed the largest drops in the divorce
rate: Montana, Kansas, Connecticut, Idaho and Alaska. Why? "If a parent knows
they will have to interact with the child's other parent while the child is
growing up, there is less incentive to divorce," says David Levy of the
Children's Rights Council.
Therefore, I asserted, "A federal law that required Mutual Consent and Shared
Parenting could cut divorce rates in half. That could save $40 billion to $50
billion of the $150 billion cost of broken families."
3. Set Aside 2% to 5% of State Welfare Surpluses To Strengthen Marriage.
When Welfare Reform was passed in 1996, the $16 billion federal payment was
frozen even if welfare rolls fell. They did plunge 61%, giving states a annual
welfare surplus of $9.8 billion. That law mandates states to reduce
"out-of-wedlock births," and to "increase two-parent families." Both trends have
gotten worse. However, Ohio set aside 1% of welfare, $12 million in 2006, to
strengthen marriage.
Why not ask Presidential candidates, "Do you support a law requiring all states
to set aside 2-5% to promote marriage?"
"We at Marriage Savers have worked with the clergy of 220 cities to launch a
Community Marriage Policy to better prepare couples for marriage, enrich
existing ones or save troubled marriages. A study of our first 114 cities
reported a 17.5% drop in divorce in seven years; some plunged 50%. Cohabitation
also fell by a third in CMP cities vs. similar cities over a decade."
However, only 40 of the 220 cities have full-time staff. If $200-$500 million
were available to strengthen marriage, 2,000 to 5,000 cities and towns could get
a $100,000 start up grant to create Healthy Marriage Initiatives.
Ask Presidential candidates if they support slashing the divorce rate, reducing
the federal deficit by $40 billion?
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