PITTSBURGH VOL.4 NO.2
CHAPTER
N E W S L E T T E R
Contact Alberta Mattingley-Vice President 37 Seneca Road Pittsburgh, PA 15241
Phone no. 412/466-8928 E-mail: pghdads@aol.com Fax 412/835-1362
WELCOME TO NCFC GREATER PITTSBURGH CHAPTER
"THE BEST PARENT IS BOTH PARENTS"
The Presumptive Joint Custody bill number HB 1723 has passed the next legislative hurdle. The first of three public hearings is scheduled in Harrisburg on March 16, 1998, at 10:00 a.m. with our own Jim Carmine and a member of the national board of directors, James Cook scheduled to testify. Mr. Cook is also the director of Joint Custody Association. He has testified to 38 other states legislatures. Our NCFC Chapter has financially assisted James Cook with his traveling expenses to speak at this public hearing. We need your financial support and contributions to help defray these costs.
The next public hearing will be in Philadelphia and the third hearing will be held in Pittsburgh. According to Tom Gannon's office, the presumptive joint custody movement for Pennsylvania started in Pittsburgh.
Please contact your local representative and ask him or her to vote yes on HB 1723, Presumptive Joint Custody. If you can schedule and appointment with your representative to review the importance of this bill and to voice your concern, please call our chapter office to schedule a board member or other NCFC member to attend with you.
Please remember to include a copy of your letter to your local state representative and send us one for our files.
The National Congress for Fathers and Children is a coalition of organizations and individuals who support father's rights, men's rights, and divorce reform in North America. We seek to advocate and with one voice to encourage:
FATHERS DAY 1998
Fathers Day this year is June 21, 1998. NCFC, The Male Coalition Fathering Families, TCACS and Citizens For Family Unity will be sponsoring a rally on the steps of the City County Building in Allegheny County, downtown Pittsburgh at 11:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. A bring-your-own picnic at Dormont Park will follow immediately after the rally. The public is invited.
There will be rallies on the court house steps of Beaver, Butler, Westmoreland, and Blair Counties, too. Please call Kevin at 854-4799 or Alberta at 466-8928 for more information.
PA SUPPORT GUIDELINE CHANGES
The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania Domestic Relations Procedural Rules Committee has issued Recommendation 48; Proposed Amendments to Rule of Civil Procedure 1910.16-1 through 1910.16-5; Relating to the Support Guidelines. This proposal has not been submitted to the Supreme Court for review as of this date. The committee is soliciting your comments and suggestions to these recommendations. Please request a copy of these recommendations and send all inquiries related to the recommendations with your comments or suggestions to:
Sophia P. Paul, Esq.
Counsel, Domestic Relations
Procedural Rules Committee
429 Forbes Avenue, Suite 300
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
fax (412) 565-2336
email: spaul@supreme.court.state.pa.us
Some of the highlights of the proposed changes are:
Generally, the existing system is bad, but these changes are terrible. The only chance to be heard about these proposed changes recommended by well to do bureaucrats is to write to them with constructive comments, suggest alternatives, call your representatives and join the groups that stand up and speak out. Comments will be accepted until May 8, 1998. As the saying goes, Speak now or forever hold your peace.
PAPI (Pennsylvania Parenthood Initiative)
There will be a PAPI meeting on March 28, 1998, in Carlisle, PA, if we can get enough people to attend and commit to reserving a room at the Appalachian Motor Lodge Motel, where the conference will be held. The three main items on the agenda are promoting HB 1723, Presumptive Joint Custody, starting a Pennsylvania political action committee for fathers rights (PAC), and identifying pro family/pro father legislators.
Groups such as FACE, NCFC, Fathers are Necessary and the Male Coalition, Fathering Families are planning to attend. The meeting is not a meeting to promote any one group over the other groups, but rather a forum for all of the groups to get to know each other, exchange information, and promote common issues. The previous meeting was held on September 20, 1997. Please call Kevin at 854-4799 for more information.
NATIONAL NCFC ANNUAL CONVENTION
National Congress for Fathers and Children's annualconvention will be held in the Detroit area this year. Admission will be $75 for early registration and $90 at the door. There will be speakers on false allegations, pro se work, custody strategies, and many other topics. The national board of directors will also hold their annual elections. Please attend and support the fatherís rights movement at the national level, too. The convention is scheduled for October 8-11, 1998.
The convention will be held in Pittsburgh in 1999, so let's show Michigan NCFC our support so they will show us their support next year. Call Kevin Sheahen for more information at 854-4799.
PITTSBURGH CHAPTER MEETINGS
Our chapter educational meetings are open to the public. There is no fee to attend and you do not have to be a member.
Recent Meetings
The January meeting featured Kevin Sheahen explaining the procedures and typical time tables a parent goes through in Allegheny County's Family Division for any type of custody action. The new Generations Mediation Program and its associated procedures, costs, and time tables were also discussed.
The February meeting featured Ken Kalaida of Outreach Services for Teens and Families. Ken discussed how teenagers are affected by divorce and how Outreach helps families cope with the stresses that result when the need is there. Outreach can be reached at 561-5405.
Tom G. Eddy of Eddy and Ostermann will discuss prenuptialagreements on March 14th. Tom can be contacted at 281-5336.
Upcoming Educational Meetings
NCFC Butler County - Educational Meetings are heldthe first Thursday evening of every month at the Butler YMCA from 7:00 to 9:00 pm. 1998's meeting schedule includes April 2nd, May 7th and June 4th. Please call Gary Setzenfand at 368-9155 for more information.
Chapter News
1997 UNITED WAY COMMUNITY CHAMPION
Alberta Mattingley, the Greater Pittsburgh Chapter of National Congress for Fathers and Children Vice President, was chosen to be the 1997 United Way Community Champion. Alberta was chosen out of a field of around 700 possible candidates for the honor. TCI Cable and the Post Gazette were the underwriting award sponsors. There was a taping with Alberta at her house while she was working on NCFC telephone calls and there will be an award presentation in the next few weeks.
Congratulations Alberta for a job well done! The award is a well deserved honor for a hard working volunteer.
SERVICE FOR MEMBERS
We offer our members a service to help them understand custody issues. If you are in the Generations program, call the office prior to your 2-hour mediation session. We will meet with you and walk you through the custody issues that will be raised in the mediation. This service, like all others is available to all members, male or female. Call the office (854-4799) for an appointment.
Pro Se Help
Help in filling out and understanding Pro Se motions is available on most Thursdays from 6-11:00 PM. We have to restrict this service to members but you can join when you come in. Call the office (854-4799) for an appointment.
Dealing With Divorce
By: Amanda Walk
Every family experiences conflicts throughout their lives. Sometimes, the only way to resolve these conflicts is for your parents to get a divorce.
Despite everything you may think, your parents still love you very much. At first it may be hard because you might not be able to visit your mom or dad as much as you want to. When kids find out that their parents are getting a divorce they have feelings of anger, sadness, loneliness, and confusion. All of these feeling are absolutely normal, but you should never blame yourself. This was your parents decision and itís probably for the best. Nothing you did or said caused them to separate.
It may take some time to adjust to these changes. You'll have new responsibilities, meet new people, and you might even have to deal with new living arrangements. To cope with all this, try new things. Get involved with school activities, join a support group, and make sure you talk with friends and teachers to express your feelings.
Remember, no matter what, your parents still love you very much!
(Amanda is a 14 year old girl who is attending Independence Middle School in Bethel Park, PA. Amanda submitted this article for our publication. If you or one of your children are interested in submitting an article for future publication in our newsletter, please forward a copy to our address on this newsletter.)
Pennsylvania enacted Act 20 in 1996 which allows counties to institute mandatory mediation programs for custody disputes. Allegheny County adopted a mandatory mediation program in February of 1997 for all types of custody actions. These actions include modifications to existing orders, new partial custody, shared custody, primary custody and even custody contempt filings. Participation by both parties is mandatory, but only has to occur one time. The cost for program to families is high and the benefits are miniscual. The program should be modified to be less mandatory and more voluntary participation. As it stands now, it is unconstitutional.
The financial cost to each parent for this program is $140 in money orders, $15 per child over the age of 6, and cash filing fees for the petitioners ranging from $25 to $103.50 for each custody petition or action. Attorney fees are added to these costs. There are many parents that are excluded from this program (and thus from their children) due to their economic situations and their lack of understanding of the legal system. In forma pauperis petitions for fathers are rarely granted. Therefore, because of these exclusionary restrictions, Allegheny County Family Division violates the basic constitutional rights of many Allegheny County parents and children. In addition, these parents have their rights violated by the time lost with their children.
Why don't these parents file a class action suit against Allegheny County? These parents cannot afford the legal costs nor do they have the knowledge of how to file an action against the government.
The second unconstitutional violation that the Allegheny County Family Division creates is the right to a quick and speedy trial. The typical duration of the Generations Program from filing to completion is anywhere from two to three months. Why is this a violation of constitutional rights? Those precious two to three months of lost time with the parent's children will never be recovered. What is worse is now a custody precedent is being established in favor of the other parent. Furthermore, once the issue gets to court, a final custody decision by the court will take anywhere from 12 months to 3 years.
The comments from our members who have participated in the Generations Program have generally not been complimentary about their experience. Some of the their comments are directed to the mediators and employees at Generations that are employed by Western PA Family Services. These mediators have criticized fathers who are seeking shared custody, promoted themselves for further mediation business, shown a gender bias in favor of the mothers and treated people coldly during registration.
While NCFC favors mediation to resolve custody, support and equitable distribution, the Generations Program is not working. AlleghenyCounty needs to modify this program to improve in the costs, durations and even whether a particular case is even appropriate for mediation. NCFC has other constructive suggestions if Allegheny County Family Division is willing to listen.
JOINT CUSTODY WORK SHOP
Parent And Child Guidance Center is conducting joint custody workshops, the first Wednesday night of every month. The time is from 7:00 pm til 8:30 pm and the sessions cost $5 per night. Preregistration is required by calling 343-5698.
Chapter 2904 of Pennsylvania's Crimes Codes says it is unlawful to interfere with the custody of children. Does it apply to denial of a court ordered custody of children? We are not sure if it applies or it does not apply. You may want to bring this section of the Crimes Code to the attention of your local police the next time you are denied custody of your children.
WE NEED YOU!
Our chapter had a grant that helped us grow to where we are today. However, that funding has all been spent on our activities. We desperately need additional funding. Your membership dues go a long way to help us do what we do, but it is not enough to keep NCFC as vocal as we have been. Please consider donating to our chapter or renew your membership and use the form on the back. Remember, your donation is tax deductible!
There is a lot of legislation on the books and in the legislative hopper to penalize non compliance of support obligations. Our legislators are overlooking a proven incentive for not only financial support of children, but also of emotional support for children. How? Joint Custody!
According to the U.S. Bureau of the Census, Child Support for Custodial Mothers and Fathers: 1991, More than 90% of fathers who have joint custody pay child support as opposed to 43% when there is not any parenting time for the father with his children.
MEMBERSHIP INFO:
Please call 412-854-4799 or use the application on this page or call 1-800-SEE-DADS.
A local Chapter resource list and sections of Pennsylvaniaís custody statutes is included in a membership package. Membership is tax-deductible.
MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION
Name________________________________________
Occupation___________________________________
Address______________________________________
____________________________________________
Phone Home: (___) ____________________________
Work:(___)___________________________________
E-mail Address: ________________________________
# and ages of children____________________________
Present Spouse (if any)___________________________
Spouse's Occupation_____________________________
Would you be willing to help us with your time and talents? Yes or No
If yes, what area would you like to help?______________
______________________________________________
Today's Date _________________
1 Year New Membership (Single $85; Family $95*) $______________
1 Year Renewed Membership (Single $50; Family $70) $____________
Life Time Membership (Single/Family $500) $_____________________
"Kids Need Fathers, Not Visitors" Bumper Stickers $2 ea. $__________
Chapter Donation ( ) $25 ( ) $50 ( ) $100
TOTAL $_____________________
MC or VISA. Card No. __________________ Exp. date_______
Signature ____________________________________________
* Family Membership covers second spouses, significant others, & grandparents.
Send to: National Congress for Fathers and Children
37 Seneca Road
Pittsburgh, Pa. 15241
Jim Carmine Ph.D. Matt Rich
Gary Graham Tim Santimyer
Doug Jones Dave Scott
Mike Jones Ellen Setzenfand
Alberta Mattingley Gary Setzenfand
Marc Peters Kevin Sheahen
Greater Pittsburgh Chapter
National Congress for Fathers & Children
37 Seneca Road
Pittsburgh, PA 15241