The Family Mental Health and Child Custody Act and Petition

                               The Family Mental Health and Child Custody Act and Petition


1. Before marriage or the birth of the first child, and again during separation and divorce, the State of Oregon shall provide and require parents to take mental health and communication classes, including:

  • Nonviolent Communication
  • Listening Skills
  • Mindfulness or similar secular or religious practices in accordance with a family's spiritual beliefs, provided that the practices have been scientifically documented to heal trauma the way mindfulness does. These practices include Christian centering prayer, yoga, hiking in nature, Buddhist meditation, and Native American religious ceremonies, including sacred dancing and sweat lodge ceremonies.
  • Journaling, which can, over time, both heal trauma and document it.

2. After separation or if unmarried parents live separately, parents shall communicate by parenting app or email so that social workers, therapists, lawyers, and judges can examine the contents of these communications. The purpose is to document how parents treat each other and their children. 

3. Child custody splits will not be 50/50 unless both parents agree.

4. If parents are struggling to co-parent, a social worker will examine their communications for indications of their mental health and how they treat both each other and their children, and make recommendations to a judge. The more cooperative and mentally healthy parent may be given more time with their children. Child support will be adjusted and awarded accordingly.

5. If problems between parents arise, this process will be repeated. Parental use of mental health and communication skills will remain a major consideration in awarding parenting time and child support.

6. This proposal is not meant to be the end-all and be-all solution forever. The results of this proposal should be evaluated and, if necessary, rewritten every 5 years. This proposal is meant to be the beginning of a new way to handle child custody battles, focused on family mental health instead of courtroom battles between parents with or without lawyers. Court cases may still take place in abusive or contested situations.

7. This law should be reviewed and potentially altered every five years.

Petition for this law:

Name________________________________________________________________________________

Contact_________________________________________________________Zip Code______________

Name________________________________________________________________________________

Contact_________________________________________________________Zip Code______________

Name________________________________________________________________________________

Contact_________________________________________________________Zip Code______________

Name________________________________________________________________________________

Contact_________________________________________________________Zip Code______________

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