The Child and Family Empowerment Project: The Crucial Impact of Divorce

By Wynter Aiken | Published by November 14, 2019

A Kean University sorority and local nonprofit teamed up to advocate for children and families experiencing negative effects of divorce.

Scout Hartley, President of Pi Alpha Alpha, said he understands the educational value and awareness FAN-PAC raises for social issues such as divorce because strong public interest and advocacy can translate into change. 

Kean University’s Pi Alpha Alpha sorority and nonprofit Family Advocate Network Political Action Committee hosted The Child and Family Empowerment Project event on Oct. 29 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Miron Student Center. The event was held to discuss the current issues with custody proceedings in divorces, the ways these issues affect children negatively and the importance of having legislation in divorce proceedings so children are less harmfully impacted. 

“Aside from these educational merits, I believe that child and family wellness is important to have an open, multi-stakeholder dialogue,” Hartley said. “I work as a child welfare advocate and consultant with foster care systems, so issues like the ones FAN-PAC represents are salient to me.” 

The event opened with a viewing of the “Erasing Family” documentary that emphasizes the real-life impact of families being separated after divorce, and how families can be erased from a child’s life thus negatively impacting their development into adulthood.  

Ginger Gentile, the filmmaker, and an advocate expressed how the film focuses primarily on the emotional aspect of a child’s extended family and other parent being erased from their lives for long periods of time. 

“Decisions are made, the blame game is played and children are caught in the conflict. Let’s get rid of the incentives, so a judge won’t just focus on one parent getting custody and the other losing out,” Gentile said. “Stop the blame game.” 

Dr. David Brandwein, Associate Professor in Psychology, also gave his perspective on the psychological trauma that children deal with during their parent’s divorce. Divorce affects children in different stages of development, he said. The importance of the child’s relationship with both parents and the value of being loved by both parents can be crucial to a child’s development. 

For the majority of families, separation and divorce provoke a time of confusion for children,  according to Brandwein. Court proceedings can also escalate emotional sensitivity, resulting in long-lasting effects. 

“Why should the kids go through this,” said David Kalen, Legislative Director of FAN-PAC. 

“You fight for custody, cause distress for the kids, send loads papers to the court, and the judge won’t even look at them. Through advocacy, we can prevent a lot of this, but we need bipartisan legislation.” 

New Jersey Assembly Representatives Annette Chaparro (D-33) and Linda Carter (D-22) have both made it their duty to see that sister assembly bills A1091 and S273 recognize that children need emotional and financial support from both parents regardless of the family structure. Though it has been in the works for a few years, the bill is still being built upon. 

“The bills would entail for there to be a 50/50 custody, but we need to make sure it’s powerful and has the right tools. We don’t want to pass it as-is through legislation and when it gets to the system, the supreme court says it’s too much for the judges to take,” Chaparro said. “ We got to make sure we do it right.” 

The bill would benefit both the court system and families, providing a clear understanding and guidance in family court matters according to FAN-PAC.org. Both parents would stay involved post-separation with their children so there is less of a parent using the system for leverage. 

“It’s important for everybody to call their legislators, let them know that this is a bill that you support and would like to see not get stuck in the system,” Carter said. “We have to make sure it’s a policy the public understands and can get enacted into law in order for there to be real change in the court system because it’s the children who are impacted the most.”

 

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