DADS AMERICA Mississippi group fights child-custody law change

Fulton dad heads effort to change state's court system Sandi Beason 6/27/2004 11:40:34 PM Northeastern Mississippi Daily Journal

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Mississippi group fights child-custody law change February 1988 HATTIESBURG, Miss. - A national advocate for fathers' rights disagrees with a local group that wants to change child custody law in Mississippi. The Hattiesburg chapter of Dads Against Discrimination is circulating a petition in an effort to gain public support for fathers in custody battles. Bonnie Hathorne, leader of DADS, estimates that about 250 people have signed the petitions since she began circulating them in the fall. "What we are trying to get is physical joint custody," Hathorne said. "We think fathers need more time with their children than just two weekends a month." Victor Smith, president of a national unrelated group called DADS, called the concept good, but not practical. "Joint custody is a concept we do not support because it doesn't necessarily solve the problem," he said. "When a man and woman unfortunately go through a divorce, they have signed papers saying they have irreconcilable differences. Why, would you want to put a child in the middle of that?" Hattiesburg psychologist Beverly Smallwood said joint custody, can be a difficult arrangement, but it depends on the relationship of the parents. "It really takes a lot of ability to communicate and resolve differences," she said. "Typically, though, if they would have been able to do that, they would have stayed married." Smallwood said joint custody can become more challenging as children get older and schools get involved, because parents may not live in the same school district. Having to juggle schools and living arrangements can be a struggle, Smallwood said. Sen. Jim Bean, R-Hattiesburg, said he is not familiar with a joint custody bill proposed by the local group. "My bottom line interest is whatever is in the best interests of the child," said Bean, who is chair of the state Senate public health committee.

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