Family & Divorce

Arkansas Voters Pass Ban on Unmarried Couples Adopting or Fostering Unwanted Children

On Tuesday, nearly 57 percent of Arkansas voters approved a ballot measure barring adoptive and foster care children from placement in the homes of couples who are not married.

Study Demonstrates Link Between Autism and Rainy Climates

According to the results of a new study, children who live in areas with high precipitation appear to demonstrate higher rates of autism.

Nebraska Governor Calls Special Session to Revise Safe Haven Law

Governor Dave Heineman announced today that a special session of Nebraska's legislature will be held next month to revise the state's controversial safe-haven law.

8-year-old Boy Dies after Accidentally Shooting Self with Gun Club Uzi

8-year-old Christopher Bizilj of Ashford, Connecticut died Sunday after accidentally shooting himself in the head while firing a fully automatic Uzi machine gun at a gun fair.

More Than 90% of Nursing Homes Cited For Violations Last Year

According to a report issued yesterday by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, over 90 percent of American nursing homes were cited for violations of federal health and safety standards in 2007.

Off-duty Chicago Police Officer Shoots Son, Kills Self and Daughter

Chicago Police Officer Dannie Marchan committed suicide Monday morning by turning his gun on himself after fatally shooting his young daughter and grievously wounding his 9-year-old son.

Study Shows Popular Infertility Treatments To Have Little or No Effect

A study in the British Medical Journal shows that women trying to become pregnant who were given either of two popular fertility treatments demonstrated no higher conception rate than patients given no treatment at all.

Utah High Court Sides with Child's Biological Father

The Utah Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that a man cannot claim parental rights over his biological child because another man has been named the child's legal father.

New York To Allow Same-Sex Couple to Divorce

A lesbian couple who were married in Canada are headed for divorce in New York in what appears to be the state's first ever same-sex divorce and child custody case.

Oglala Sioux Tribe to Open Child Advocacy Center in Rapid City

ONTRAC, or Oglala Nation Tiospaye Resource and Advocacy Center, is to open a center in Rapid City in order to improve services to children, tribal notification procedures, and rapport with state agencies.

Ohio Bill Would Increase Foster Parent Training, Decrease Public Access to Records

In Ohio, a bill that would increase foster parent training while limiting public access to foster parents’ records may pass as early as Tuesday. The bill is expected to improve foster families and protect foster children.

Cultural Differences Take Center Stage in Houston Custody Battle

Late last month, Houston’s Child Protective Services won a court case over the custody of a Chinese-American boy. The jury in the case ruled that the child should remain with his Caucasian foster parents, causing Houston's Asian community to join together in support of the boy's biological family.

Custody Battle Sparks Debate over Children’s, Parents’ Rights

A Florida custody battle between the father of a 5-year-old girl and her foster parents is raising issues as to whether a parent's or a child’s rights should take precedence in child custody cases.

Britney Spears Ordered to Undergo Drug Testing, Attend Parenting Classes

Pop singer Britney Spears received a court order on September 17 requiring her to undergo weekly drug and alcohol screening and attend parenting classes in order to maintain custody of her children with ex-husband Kevin Federline.

Malawi Officials Delay Finalizing Adoption by Madonna

Malawi’s Child Welfare Services delayed finalizing Madonna’s October 2006 adoption of David, a Malawian orphan. Agency director Penston Kilembe cited financial and logistical limitations as causing the delay.

Virginia Law Affects Adoption Proceedings for Biological Parents

A Virginia paternity law went into effect July 1 that changes the process by which a biological father’s parental rights are terminated in adoption proceedings.

Couple Seeks Child to Adopt Using Billboards

A LaPorte, Minnesota couple is posting handmade signs throughout Minnesota and Iowa in an attempt to find a child to adopt.

Washington Supreme Court Asked to OK State-Supported Divorce Representation

The Washington State Supreme Court heard arguments from attorneys for an Olympia woman that the state has a duty to provide government-subsidized legal counsel to represent her in her divorce case.

Woman Imprisoned for Helping Teen Lover Seeks Custody Change for Child

A woman imprisoned for the statutory rape of a 15-year-old boy and later helping him flee the state has had her request to remove their 15-month-old son from the care of his foster parents denied.

Burns Cause Two-Year-Old's Death

A two-year-old girl in Houston, Texas died May 28 after suffering extensive burns to her lower body. The girl’s mother said that a campfire caused the burns, but later said they resulted from scalding bathwater.

Couple Seeks Supreme Court Hearing for Child Custody Dispute

A Memphis, Tennessee couple has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a Tennessee Supreme Court order that they relinquish custody of the eight-year-old Chinese girl they raised from infancy.

Texas Mother Kills Three Children in Murder-Suicide

A Texas woman hung her four children and herself in a closet of their mobile home on May 29 in an apparent murder-suicide. Only an eight-month-old infant survived.

Ohio Arrests 82 Child Support Offenders

Ohio authorities, in an effort to crack down on parents who owe child support, rounded up 82 people last week. The parents, one owing more than $46,000 and three others owing more than $40,000, collectively owe nearly $1.5 million in back child support to 136 children. The patents have all have avoided court dates.

New Jersey to Make Divorce Easier

The New Jersey State Assembly passed a bill Monday that would make it easier for couples to become divorced. The bill would allow couples to dissolve their marriages, citing “irreconcilable differences,” after six months. This no-fault divorce bill passed 61 votes to just 15.

“Covenant Marriages” in Texas?

Texas State Republican Bill Zedler introduced a bill calling for existing marriages in the state to be converted to “covenant marriages.” If successful, covenant marriages, which recognize marriages as a social and moral relationship rather than just a legal one, would make it much more difficult for couples to divorce.

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