Letter from Jon Bevilacqua
New York Fails Families Again
The National Parents Organization just released its 2025 Shared Parenting Report Card, and once again, New York has earned a failing grade; an indisputable “F.” That is not just a poor grade; it is a profound failure for families.
Let us be blunt. The NPOs Shared Parenting Report Card for New York cited no positives. Not a single one.
Per the report, “New York has no statutory preference for, or presumption of shared parenting (joint legal custody and shared physical custody) for temporary or final orders. New York has no explicit statutory recognition of shared parenting, joint legal custody, shared residential custody or similar concepts.”
This is not just a bureaucratic oversight; it is a deliberate choice to ignore decades of research, public opinion and common sense. This failure has real consequences that affect real families. The Institute of Family Studies published the results of 54 studies, all of which confirm that emotional, academic, and social outcomes are better for those children whose parents are both actively and consistently involved after separation or divorce.
Despite the statistics, New York courts continue to ignore the benefits of shared parenting, often reducing one parent to nothing more than a visitor. This is not just wrong; it is detrimental to the success and well-being of our children and families.
Polling across the country consistently shows overwhelming support for shared parenting. New Yorkers are not the exception. In fact, in the NPO’s 2021 Shared Parenting Poll it was found that 92 percent of those who were polled in New York believe it is in the child’s best interest to have as much time as possible with each parent in cases of separation or divorce. New Yorkers believe in keeping both parents in the lives of their children. We believe that children deserve support and guidance from their entire family. Why doesn’t our legislation support our beliefs?
New York needs change and change requires action.
The solution is straight-forward. It is time for New York to enact a rebuttable presumption of shared parenting. When both parents are fit and there is no abuse, equal parenting time should be the legal default. Our children are not pawns. They are not prizes to be awarded. Our children deserve to finally be treated with their best interests in mind, and that starts with the presence of both parents. Call your legislator to support bill A06151 | 2025-2026 to bring us out of the dark ages.
Jon Bevilacqua
New York Families for Tomorrow
This is a great article to highlight that we really need help with family law reform and child custody. Legislation is the best way if we can continue to follow what other states are already doing. Thank you Jon
In many areas, NY leads the country. It’s a shame that it brings up the rear in this important area. It’s time for NY legislators to take a stand for families to ensure that kids don’t lose a full relationship with one parent simply because the parents aren’t living together.
Thank you for sharing this information! I struggle with the lack of scientific knowledge and understanding by our representatives in Albany. It seems only “feel good” policies are sold with a nice PR package, while systemic issues such as, our grossly neglected family court systems get pushed down to the bottom of the list. Our representatives don’t want boring reform…they crave media coverage and kudos. However, the Country acknowledges that children having a frequent presence and relationship with both parents is the gold standard, post divorce or separation.
Keep bringing awareness to these policy measures!
What an educational article. Unfortunately, I don’t think many New Yorkers are even aware that 50/50 isn’t the standard. A lot only find out when their own family is involved.