Separated Parents

Make testing available for separated parents who have not seen their children since lockdown began due to one parent taking advantage of lockdown to deny contact.

Why the contribution is important

It is in the best interests of the child to preserve and maintain contact and emotional support from both parents particularly during this challenging and uncertain time

by jooceb on May 11, 2020 at 12:25PM

Current Rating

Average rating: 5.0
Based on: 2 votes

Comments

  • Posted by StuartK5871 May 11, 2020 at 21:24

    I can completely relate to this - I have been 40 days without my children for no real valid reason.
    This has personally affected me, so will obviously talk from my own experience, but I do not expect you to look into my case individually. I have tried to bring attention to the abuse of the advice given out - that has been undertaken across a significant portion of separated and divorced parents. This is enabled by many solicitors, who instead of guiding and advising their clients about what is best for the children, instead stifle debate and back up very unreasonable views.
    For me personally, I have saw my ex wife take a unilateral approach to this situation and has subsequently deprived and denied me of my parental rights and responsibilities – including court ordered residency.

    The section of the guidance that seems to be open to abuse is Section 7:

    Where parents or carers differ in their views over safety, "communication between all parties is key to managing the situation and agreeing a sensible, practical solution". Where one parent is sufficiently concerned that complying with the court order would be against current Government advice, "that parent may exercise their parental responsibility and vary the arrangement to one that they consider to be safe. If, after the event, the actions of a parent acting on their own in this way are questioned by the other parent in court, the court is likely to look to see whether each parent acted reasonably and sensibly in the light of the Government guidance in place at that time, together with any specific evidence relating to the child or family".

    So from my own personal perspective, while being resident parent, my ex wife who has continually harassed me, my partner and caused significant issues to all around me including the children, she has decided that there is a ‘coronavirus risk’ due to me providing some care to my partner.
    This was only after being tested for CoV and having had 14 days self-quarantine with my children due to symptoms previously. From an initial ‘concern’ where I did not see my children during the entire Easter holidays, she has now decided that it’s an additional 3 weeks, despite the fact that I have no longer went to my partners for over a month.
    I know I am not the only person who is going through this – my own solicitor has several cases similar to this - and while I have a personal agenda to this, I am also concerned of the alienation of children who are deprived of contact with a parent and also the effect on the mental health of those parents – where people who are vulnerable or are already on the edge may harm themselves or worse. It is hard enough as it is to be isolated and for many people unable to work, without this psychological harm being done to innocent parents.
    Parents who make these unilateral decisions for their own agenda are being inherently selfish and only hurting children and other humans at a time that we all must stick together to get through this pandemic intact.
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