Christmas a sad time for non-custodial parents

Oshawa This Week

To the editor:

It’s that time of year. Christmas, for most people, is a time for family and friends, filled with joy and celebration. We see lights on the roof tops and in the windows. Gifts under the tree, and everyone is planning the perfect turkey dinner. Everyone except the non-custodial parent going through Canada’s shamelessly, broken and outdated Family Law system.

For most non-custodial parents it’s a time of sorrow. Being denied access to their child or children. No extra money for gifts or activities for their children, family or friends. All their time and money is spent on lawyers and court fees — taking the life right out of them.

In Canada, the non-custodial parent is typically the father. Mom gets sole custody in almost 90 per cent of divorce cases and if mom and dad have “joint custody”, that typically means that mom is the primary care giver and dad is the every other weekend visitor.

Given that our government doesn’t plan on fixing our broken system any time soon — the Canadian Centre for Men and Families is proud to announce that we have opened the doors to Canada’s first Centre for Men and Families — Toronto now has a home dedicated to the health and well-being of boys, men and their families.

Since we opened, visitors and calls to the centre have been non-stop. Fathers needing help regaining access to their children. Mothers seeking tools for their boys struggling to stay in school. Men in desperate need of counselling and peer support.

We need your help to keep the momentum going — please make a donation today. View our video message at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVeyJ4hovYo

Paulette MacDonald

Oshawa

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