A vast number of family, child, and father’s rights groups have formed around the United States and in various places around the globe: Canada, England, Ireland, Australia, France, and India, to mention a few. The size and number of these groups is expanding at an exponential rate. Some of these groups are regional in nature and serve as support groups for local communities while not providing much in the way of political resources or influence, nor is it their intention, while others are national or international in scope. The larger groups tend to be well funded and active in political arenas. Regardless of their size, these groups represent the rapidly growing consensus that something is terribly amiss in our family law systems and that we need to make pervasive, extensive, and constructive changes. Moreover, they represent the real potential for change as memberships grow and coalesce into a body of recognized political power and influence.

Below you will find a listing of some of the larger groups. Here, real political power is already taking shape, and bringing its force to bear upon our political systems and resulting in the changes that are necessary and so desperately needed by our children and fathers. Moreover, if you are looking to join a group and become actively involved, adding your voice to the larger collective will be more effectual then joining or starting another small group. These larger groups have numerous programs and political activities in progress, which include: public relations and education, lobbying, legislative initiatives, legal defense funds, advocacy, research, mailings, campaign initiates, petition drives, and action alerts. These larger groups offer their members real hope – going well beyond sitting on the side-lines and licking wounds. If your need is for local group presence there is the very real possibility of your group becoming an affiliate or local chapter of a larger organization – larger groups often expand in this manner.  With funding, size, and programs in place these groups provide an opportunity for you to contribute to their work and efforts in progress, and offer a real potential for victory on critical child and family issues.

Our founding fathers recognized the importance of banding together to build political strength. The words “E Pluribus Unum” (from the many one) borrowed from early Greek political thought reflects this key principle. One united voice is much more influential and powerful then a large number of smaller voices with similar interests. This is especially true in our system of government where special interests represent the “swing vote” that can make or break a politician’s bid for re-election or the passage of new legislation. 

You are only as alone and as isolated as you make yourself. You are needed. Help bring about constructive change; join, get connected, take action, make your voice heard, sign petitions!

. . . the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.

 GROUPS WITH NATIONAL PRESENCE

American Coalition for Fathers and Children
ACFC Washington Office
1718 M St. NW.
Suite 187
Washington, DC 20036
Website: http://www.acfc.org/
Email:  info@acfc.org

The American Coalition for Fathers and Children is dedicated to the creation of a family law system, legislative system, and public awareness which promotes equal rights for ALL parties affected by divorce, and the breakup of a family or establishment of paternity. It is their belief that through involvement and dedication, they can have a positive effect on the emotional and psychological well-being of children.

They support:

• Equal, shared parenting time or joint custody is the optimal custody situation
• The best parent is both biological parents
• Grandparents should have rights and access to their grandchildren
• Gender bias should be eliminated from family law and from future legislation
• BOTH biological parents should be responsible for the emotional and psychological well-being of their children, as well as financially responsible
• In the concept of fairness and equity in support for ALL families; and, that all children involved in a blended family should have equal rights, and do deserve equal rights and equal protection under the law
• Child support orders should be reasonable, realistically reflect the cost of the children’s basic needs, and reflect the relative parenting contribution of both parents in a shared parenting plan
• When parents are given equal rights, equal responsibility follows; when parents have equal access to their children and support levels are reasonable and reflect the true cost of raising a child, parents will comply with court orders
• When equity is created in our laws, the conflicts inherent in divorce situations dissolve and that, in the end, this is the greatest gift which we, as parents, could possibly bestow on our children 

ACFC’s mission is shared parenting

Children’s Rights Counsel – (CRC)
8181 Professional Place
Suite 240
Landover, Maryland 20785
Website: http://www.crckids.org/
Email: info@crckids.org.

The Children’s Rights Council (CRC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that advocates for children’s rights to have two actively engaged and fully-participating parents in their lives, regardless of the marital status of their parents.  CRC believes that “The Best Parent is Both Parents®,” and thus act like a catalyst to increase the use of joint-custody to boost the involvement both parents.  Since CRC’s inception more than 24 years ago, they have maintained the mission of minimizing the emotional, physical and economic abuse, neglect and distress of children, and the development of anti-social and high-risk behaviors following relationship breakups and marital disputes between parents.

Since its incorporation in 1985 CRC has become a global leader in the advocacy, development and delivery of services and information addressing rights and responsibilities with regards to the “best interest” of children. CRC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, they are headquartered in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area with 60 chapters in 39 states (including the District of Columbia) and international affiliates in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, France, Israel, Japan, Switzerland, and Sierra Leone.  Additionally, CRC operates access centers at which parents can peacefully change custody or non-custodial parents can visit with their children during supervised visitation. 

On Behalf of Children, CRC engages the global family to fulfill three fundamental needs:

• The need to protect the “Best Interests” and Healthy Development of Children
• The need to advance Social and Legal Justice
• The need to provide Community Awareness and Parental Education 

Divorced Father’s Network
300-A Nelson Road
Scott Valley, CA 95066
831 335 5855
Website: www.divorcedfathers.com
Online contact form: http://www.divorcedfathers.com/DFN/index.php/contact-us

The Divorced Fathers Network is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) peer support organization dedicated to improving the lives of children, fathers and mothers by supporting engaged, effective fathering during and after divorce.

DFN is made up of individuals who believe children with divorced parents stand the best chance of being successful adults if they are allowed continued access to both their parents. They understand that maintaining shared parenting relationships is difficult. Therefore they strive to help communities create networks where more divorced parents will be able to maintain cooperation with former spouses. What they offer is support on an individual basis. They do not provide legal advice and often suggest that parents invest their time working to build bridges of cooperation instead of hiring attorneys to litigate.

The Divorced Fathers Network is in the process of starting chapters across the United States. Their goal for these chapters is to provide free co-parenting classes, stressing the need children have to be parented by both their parents and the positive outcome that results.

National Parents Organization
20 Park Plaza
Suite 628
Boston, MA. 02116
(617) 542-9300
Website: www.fathersandfamilies.org
Emails:
Rita Fuerst Adams, MBA: rita1st@fathersandfamilies.org
Founder and Board Chairman Ned Holstein, MD, MS: nedholstein@fathersandfamilies.org
adminfaf@fathersandfamilies.org

Fathers & Families has an ambitious legislative agenda and has helped pass family court reform legislation in over two dozen states. They have many legislative projects and achievements and a full time lobyist. They seek to better the lives of children through family court reform that establishes equal rights and responsibilities for fathers and mothers.  They further seek to improve the lives of children and strengthen society by protecting the child’s right to the love and care of both parents after separation or divorce.

URL: http://ncfm.org/
Email: ncfm@ncfm.org

NCFM was founded in 1977 upon the realization that men needed a unified voice in addressing issues concerning men and boys. The Coalition of Free Men, Inc. (NCFM) has fought for Men’s Rights for over 35 years. Since that time, NCFM and its members have sponsored conferences, organized rallies, filed successful civil rights lawsuits, brought legislative reforms, provided direct services, made many radio and television appearances, published academic papers, magazine and newspaper articles, written books (including bestsellers), produced films, made numerous radio and television appearances, testified before legislative and other government bodies, spoken before the United Nations, formed one of the United States only state commissions on the status of men, and engaged in countless other forms of activism throughout the United States. The accomplishments of NCFM and its individual members are extraordinary, unrelenting, and too long to list.

National Fatherhood Initiative
20410 Observation Drive
Suite 107
Germantown, Maryland  20876
Website: www.fatherhood.org
Email: programsupport@fatherhood.org

National Fatherhood Initiative (NFI) was founded in 1994 and works in every sector and at every level of society to engage fathers in the lives of their children. NFI is one of the leading producers of research on the causes and consequences of father absence, public opinion on family issues, and trends in family structure and marriage. NFI’s flagship research publication, Father Facts, is the leading source of fatherhood information and statistics for the press, public policy experts, and government officials. NFI’s Pop’s Culture: A National Survey of Dads’ Attitudes on Fathering and With This Ring: A National Survey on Marriage in America are two of the most comprehensive national surveys that have been published in recent years on American attitudes towards fatherhood and marriage. NFI’s national public service advertising campaign promoting father involvement has generated television, radio, print, Internet, and outdoor advertising valued at over $500 million. Through its resource center, Father SOURCE™, NFI offers a wide range of innovative resources to assist fathers and organizations interested in reaching and supporting fathers. Through its “three-e” strategy of educating, equipping, and engaging, NFI works with businesses, prisons, churches, schools, community-based organizations, hospitals, and military installations to connect organizations and fathers with the resources they need to ensure that all children receive the love, nurture, and guidance of involved, responsible, and committed fathers.

Parental Alienation.org
Douglas Darnall, Ph.D.
PsyCare
2980 Belmont Ave.
Youngstown, OH. 44505
330-759-2310
Fax 330-759-0018
Website: www.parentalalienation.org
Email at: douglas900@aol.com

A FEW REGIONAL & STATE FOCUSSED GROUPS

Children’s Rights Initiative for Sharing Parents Equally – CRISPE
PO Box 12503
San Diego, CA 92112 
888-8-CRISPE
Email: crispeinfo@crispe.org

Children’s Rights Initiative for Sharing Parents Equally (CRISPE) is a nonprofit, genderless, nonpartisan, educational organization working to improve the well being of children by ensuring that children have access to both their parents equally. 

CRISPE is a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation (Federal I.D.# 20-8007419) whose purpose is to promote a presumption of equal parenting in the best interests of children.

CRISPE is a 42′ motor coach. The motor coach is completely wrapped with purple vinyl to represent peace, more aptly the peace children deserve to have even when torn between feuding parents. The CRISPE Bus will be used in concert with other children rights organizations. When traveling the bus will carry an assortment of educational and promotional aids to educate the general public and others about the importance of equal parenting.  

Dads & Moms of Michigan
7285 Orchard Lake Road
West Bloomfield, MI
888 851 3666
248 559 3237

Website: www.dadsandmomsofmichigan.org 
Online contact url: http://www.dadsandmomsofmichigan.org/contactus.aspx

Dads and Moms of Michigan (DMM) is a non-profit 501 c3 corporation. 

DMM’s main goal is to restore Equal Custody Rights to Michigan Fathers and Mothers affected by Divorce, the break-up of the family, or Children born to unmarried parents through Education and Family Court Reform. 

By providing information, Education, and the knowledge to effectively use available Shared Co-Parenting resources, to all Michigan Fathers and Mothers desirous of remaining actively involved in the lives of their minor children both during and after a Divorce or similar domestic relations action. 

These Shared Co-Parenting resources can make a difference in the emotional and psychological well being of our Children.

The Family Rights Coalition of Michigan
P.O. Box 366
Troy, MI 48099
248-275-6234
Website: http://www.frcmi.org
Online contact url: http://www.miparents.org/modules/contact/

Jay A. Fedewa, Executive Director
jafedewa@frcmi.org
Michael T. Ross, President
Dave Taylor, Board Member
Edward Kempen, Board Member
Cindy Holsworth, Board Member
Mark Havas, Membership Director

The Family Rights Coalition of Michigan believes that family is the cell of a society. In the healthy family, love and unconditional devotion yields the highest form of human connectivity. Communities and nations founded on healthy families create the greatest promise for a moral and economically vibrant society. Connectedness inspired by family relationships transcends all time, generations, ethnicities and geography. It creates a rich human tapestry and a fullness of life not achievable by any other means. 

They believe every child has a birthright to be parented equally, fully and lovingly by a father and a mother alike unencumbered by state interference even when circumstances require parents to parent apart. They also affirm that a child benefits from the love, guidance and nurturance of all family members including grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. To these ends, the Family Rights Coalition of Michigan dedicates itself to safeguarding marriage and the parent-child bond through fellowship, education, community involvement, and political activism.

They also seek and promote Governmental Accountability.

Best Interest of the Family.com (BIF)
Larry Herren  & Dave Taylor host the BIF show on TalkShoe.com
Website: http://www.bestinterestofthefamily.com/
Email: Dave@BestInterestOfTheFamily.com