6632 Telegraph Rd,
Ste 110
Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301
248-559-DADS
info@dadsofmichigan.org
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DADS and MOMS of Michigan eNewsletter This is a brief report of some of the many activities going on around the state and country. We had a great Equal Parents Week program, many media ops, and we are looking forward to several upcoming educational programs. Our monthly meeting with a Wayne County family court judge was eye opening. We will be conducting parenting plan workshops in November. We will also be switching to a live answering service. There is a lot more to report so check the Dads and Moms of Michigan web site and the Message Forum for the latest news. For information call 248-559-DADS (3237). Sign up for our eNewsletter at www.dadsofmichigan.org
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. In his annual proclamation, president George W. Bush recently recognized that men are also harmed by this national crisis. “Domestic violence has no place in our society, and we have a moral obligation to help prevent it. The terrible tragedies that result from it destroy lives and insult the dignity of women, men, and children,” Bush noted. Domestic Violence is a problem throughout the globe. The World Health Organization weighed in on the topic several years ago and in 1994 the U.S. enacted the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), under the assumption that all domestic violence is only perpetrated by men. The military and U.S. Navy integrated women into combat positions in the late 80's and on Navy combatant ships and sexual harassment and domestic violence training was implemented. The assumption was that it is a man on women issue. A different picture has emerged. Even though current laws, policy, and criminal justice procedure provide for the prosecution of men, many military and law enforcement officials started to prosecute women. In November 2005, the President signed the reauthorization of VAWA II, and with the extraordinary work of RADAR, it included protections and funding for men.
Domestic Violence and the difficult truth Many of these pages may sound offensive, however, you need to understand the resources available to women only for instances of domestic violence. Many of these organizations are funded by $347,000,000 in federal funding. Many of these organizations advocate that DV is only a man on woman issue. For years the laws disadvantaged women and placed them in compromising situations. Domestic Violence is not an option to be tolerated. The paradigm has changed and the DV laws are being abused by many of the organizations and people it was designed to protect. Become educated about this important issue. With the introduction of women in combat military and changes in welfare reform, it is evident apparent that DV is also a women on man issue. With greater understanding, and the work of RADAR, removed gender from the law, let us bring balance to a problematic issue and eliminate family courts that promote false allegations of DV, which is DV. With the paradigm shift to shared parenting in Virgina, there is less to fight about. There are many Domestic Violence shelters and groups in Michigan and only a very few offer marginal services or are trained to provide services for men. Check the Domestic Violence Wheel (DHHS) and domestic violence includes: false allegations, obstruction of parenting time, parental alienation, pushing, verbal abuse, denigration, and vindictiveness. Check the following documents for what you can do; avoid/separate from the conflict situation, development a trust relationship with a police officer, document the date/time and short description of the incident, report it. Domestic Violence Wheel Domestic Violence defined Domestic Violence Report and Statistics The Myth and reality, DV is created equal. Facts - Domestic Violence The harsh reality. Facts - Restraining Orders The harsh reality. Reliable research shows that men and women are equally likely to engage in partner aggression, and 38% of persons injured by domestic violence are male. This has been shown in over 100 studies conducted in both the United States and abroad: www.csulb.edu/~mfiebert/assault.htm. The U.S. Congress has mandated that domestic violence services be made available to victims of both sexes. Despite that requirement, the DoJ Office of Violence Against Women has instructed that "states must fund only programs that focus on violence against women." VAWA Re-authorization 2005 WomensLaw.org Family Violence Defense Fund
DADS and MOMS of Michigan New Affiliate 'Children Need Both Parents' in Grand Rapids, MI and DADS and MOMS of Michigan will work together on common goals and objectives. Children Need Both Parents, Inc. is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, founded and incorporated in 1993, initially to assist non-custodial fathers with visitation issues. It has since been assigned to specific cases in the Cook County court system in Illinois and has expanded it's goals to include counseling to both parents, supervision of visitation, assistance with child support issues, services to domestic violence cases and workplace support. The need to expand services is based on attacking not the results of a problem, but the problem. We are a multi state organization operating in Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan. childrenneedbothparents@msn.com
Dads and Moms University Presents Dads and Moms of Michigan University (DMU) is developing new relationships with school boards, churches, and community support organizations. We have acquired several 'best in class' courses in marriage preservation, step-families, and single parenthood. We will be conducting parenting plan workshops in November. We are expanding resources for Dads, Moms, Stepparents, and Grandparents, and in the Moms of Michigan and Parenting forums to provide more resources for both Parents. Oakland County DADS OF MICHIGAN FAMILY FORUM For other locations and information, GO: http://www.dadsofmichigan.org/events.html
The 2006 Midwest Fathers Conference For details, including registration information and directions, visit partnershipfordads.org. And please forward this message to anyone who might have an interest! A PRESENTATION OF PARTNERSHIP FOR DADS www.partnershipfordads.org
Parenting Plans and Visitation: This program provides an understanding of the Custody and Visitation Guidelines and the effect on a parenting time arrangement.
The Children's Rights Council 20th Anniversary Conference High-Octane Topics will include Defining the Best Interests of the Child, Paternity Establishment, Parental Alienation of Children, The Rights of Children in Same Sex Marriages Also, How Judges Decide Custody Cases, Community Responses to Domestic and Family Violence, Media Misperceptions of the Family, Effects of PAS as evidenced by Adult Children of Divorce, Essential Elements to Winning Joint Custody, How to Mediate Successfully, Child Access Centers: Problems and Solutions, and much more.
Restore the American Family EPW September 27 in Lansing was a gorgeous day as the sky opened up from the rain for an inspiring ceremony and a who's who of speakers. The program was videoed, photographed, televised, published, and broadcast by numerous media throughout the State. Coincidentally, Supreme Court Justice Maura Corrigan published in the September issue of Referees Quarterly an article expounding on the family issues DOM has been advocating, which is children are significantly better off with both parents involvement, even if the parents are divorced or unwed. During EPW, we celebrate parenting and the wonderful contribution each parent can make in a Childs life. We need to encourage more of this. Take a look at some of these wonderful pictures.
PARENTING RESOURCES The Administration of Children & Families announced the recipients of $110 million in federal grants given to organizations working to promote marriage and healthy fatherhood http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ofa/grantees/list10-06.htm including, First Things First (Chattanooga), the Child Abuse Council (Tampa), Parents as Teachers (St. Louis), Urban Ventures Leadership Foundation (Minneapolis, MN), and the Healthy Families/Thriving Communities Collaborative Council (Washington, DC).
40 Developmental Assets ® Through extensive research, Search Institute has identified the following 40 building blocks of healthy development that help young people grow up healthy, caring, and responsible. STEP PARENTS If you decide to marry a parent with children, there are some things you have to accept as a reality. It is part of the baggage parents bring with them into the marriage. To begin with, children will want to spend time alone with their parent without your presence. Many times the parent will want to put their children's needs before yours. Standing the background is a biological mother or father. She or he could have very strong feelings about you that have nothing to do with you as a person or stepparent. The biological parent could be jealous of your time with the children, fear your discipline, hate their ex, and distrust your motives. However unfair or unjustified these problems appear, you and your spouse have to deal them while trying to not get the children caught in the middle. GRANDPARENTS Grandparents Magazine MILITARY ISSUES FORUM Michigan Military Moms
Combined Federal Campaign - DADS of Michigan CFC #3691 Dads of Michigan is now an approved charity through the Combined Federal Campaign. CFC is the world's largest and most successful annual workplace giving campaign. Pledges made by Federal civilian, postal and military donors during the campaign season (September 1st to December 15th) support eligible non-profit organizations that provide health and human service benefits. To learn more about giving through CFC, enter http://www.opm.gov/cfc/. On your application, indicate CFC #3691. For more information, click http://www.dadsofmichigan.org/fin.html
Dads and Moms of Michigan (www.dadsofmichigan.org) includes Dads of Michigan, Moms of Michigan, and Dads of Michigan PAC. These are volunteer responsible parenthood education organizations for fathers and mothers. They instruct on the importance of involved biological parents to the successful development of their children. Dads of Michigan PAC is an independent volunteer political advocacy group dedicated to legislation keeping both biological parents actively engaged in the lives of their children despite divorce and custody, in most instances. They believe men and women should be viewed equally under the law and their credo is: "fathers are responsible parents too…because the best parent is both parents." Dads of Michigan, the Michigan affiliate of the American Coalition for Fathers and Children, is also the developer of the Dads and Moms University of responsible education for teenage, divorced, and unmarried parents. This educational program employs several features to either directly or indirectly benefit nearly 2 million men, women, and grandparents and just under one-half million children each year in Michigan. For more information, please contact us at (248) 559-DADS (3237) or email info@dadsofmichigan.org. Your financial assistance is vitally needed to help us meet our goals via the above projects. We ask you to please consider Dads of Michigan among your corporate and individual charitable contributions. Dads of Michigan is a volunteer, tax-exempt organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and qualifies for tax deductible contributions. Major credit cards are also now accepted. DADS and MOMS of Michigan Code of Ethics and Business Conduct. "Fathers are responsible parents too…because the best parent is both parents” |
