Urges and requests the Select Committee on Women and Children of the Senate to study a parent's right to equal custodial periods with the child.
If the Select Committee on Women and Children carries out its study, it could lead to significant recommendations regarding legislative changes aimed at family law and custody arrangements in Louisiana. The focus on equal custodial periods aims to foster a healthier environment for children, ensuring both parents have meaningful involvement in their lives. This could involve the creation of programs that not only enable equal custodial arrangements but also address instances of custodial alienation. Such changes might fundamentally shift how courts handle custody issues, potentially leading to broader reforms in family law.
Senate Resolution 172 (SR172), authored by Senator Barrow, urges the Select Committee on Women and Children to study the rights of parents concerning equal custodial periods with their children. The resolution emphasizes the importance of both parents having frequent and continuing contact with their children, suggesting that equal custodial periods should be a standard practice whenever feasible. The resolution also identifies issues surrounding current custodial arrangements, specifically highlighting how they can sometimes be leveraged for harassment or alienation of one parent against the other, indicating a need for review and improvement.
The overall sentiment regarding SR172 appears to be supportive among those who advocate for children's welfare and parental involvement. Proponents argue that the resolution's intention reflects a progressive step towards ensuring balanced custodial rights, which is critical for a child's development and emotional well-being. However, the discussions may also reveal dissenting opinions on specific implementation strategies or concerns about the complexities involved in equal custodial arrangements in practice.
There are likely various points of contention that could arise during the Select Committee's study, especially regarding how to effectively implement equal custodial locations in diverse family situations. Critics of flawed custody arrangements may argue about potential negative implications on children's stability when forced into shared custody frameworks without consideration of individual circumstances, such as cases involving domestic abuse or differing parental responsibilities. Additionally, there might be debates about resource allocations for proposed programs to support these changes.