(G)Local Plan
Think Local. Build Momentum. Fix the Glitch.
The societal issue of not having equal shared parenting, along with the various branches — custodial interference, child support, divorce, family, and related issues — has affected families for generations.
The plan is built around a simple idea: individual objectives build upon one another. As measurable goals are completed, expanded, and continued, the next objective becomes more attainable and the overall effort gains momentum.
The (G)Local Plan
Each objective builds upon the work completed before it. Awareness creates community. Community creates support. Support creates accountability. Accountability creates the foundation for broader change.
Create Awareness
Educate people and create conversations around 50/50 shared parenting.
Build Locally
Become active in schools, organizations, communities, counties, and local networks.
Help Families
Provide parents and children with education, resources, support, and connections.
Court Accountability
Learn the system, observe proceedings, collect information, and understand how courts operate.
Law & Policy
Research laws, develop proposals, build coalitions, and engage in the legislative process.
Create Awareness
Creating awareness and changing public opinion with respect to 50/50 shared parenting begins with education and conversation.
Connect With Shared Parenting Groups
Like, follow, share, and subscribe to equal shared parenting organizations and information sources. Different people reach different social circles.
Get Educated
Learn the baseline topics and start conversations with people in person as well as through social media.
Get Involved Locally
Become involved in your community and your children's schools through parenting programs, PTA, band, volunteering, or other opportunities.
Organize Locally
When enough people become active, organize efforts geographically by school district, county, and community.
Create Educational Material
Create flyers and other material containing relevant information that can be easily understood and shared.
Connect With Local Businesses
Identify businesses and organizations interested in supporting equal shared parenting.
Create Community Events
Community events can include car events, golf tournaments, gaming nights, car washes, and other gatherings.
Understand the Political Process
Learn how local and state government works and understand who is involved in decisions affecting family policy.
Keep It (G)Local
Large statewide projects become more manageable when they are broken into smaller geographic areas. Schools, independent school districts, cities, and counties can provide a framework for organizing local information and participation.
WATCH D.O.G.S.®
Dads of Great Students is a school-based family and community engagement program.
Visit WATCH D.O.G.S. ↗Texas ISD Map
Interactive Texas Education Agency map for locating school districts throughout Texas.
Open ISD Map ↗Texas County Map
Reference map showing Texas counties for organizing information geographically.
View County Map ↗School Plan
Checklist for researching schools, programs, contacts, and local involvement opportunities.
Open School Plan ↗Assist Parents & Children
One of the most direct ways to help is simply to be available to parents and children who are experiencing divorce, custody disputes, or significant family changes.
For Parents
- Encourage emotional support through therapy or counseling.
- Provide resources for co-parenting and communication strategies.
- Help locate information about legal and financial challenges related to divorce.
- Offer practical support such as child care or household assistance when appropriate.
- Encourage self-care and personal well-being.
For Children
- Provide a safe and supportive environment where feelings can be expressed.
- Reinforce that the divorce is not the child's fault and that the child remains loved.
- Provide age-appropriate information about family changes.
- Help maintain routines and stability whenever possible.
- Provide opportunities to maintain family relationships where appropriate.
- Pay attention to emotional well-being and seek professional assistance when needed.
Family Courts
Family-court proceedings are a major part of custody, parenting-time, divorce, and child-support cases. Court-watching programs provide one method for observing public proceedings and gathering information about how courts operate.
50/50 Shared Parenting Laws
The state-law portion of the plan begins with understanding existing custody and parenting laws and then developing a structured proposal around identified changes.
Research
Research existing laws related to child custody, visitation, and shared parenting in the applicable jurisdiction and identify areas for potential change.
Identify Allies
Identify people and organizations interested in equal shared parenting, including legal, professional, and advocacy communities.
Form a Coalition
Build a coalition that can include parents, attorneys, mental-health professionals, advocates, and other interested parties.
Draft a Proposal
Develop a clear proposal describing the changes sought and the specific provisions being proposed.
Legislative Engagement
Present the proposal and supporting research through the applicable legislative process.
Organize Support
Coordinate interested supporters and provide information about the proposal and legislative process.
Public Hearings
Participate in public hearings when appropriate and provide testimony, research, and personal experiences relevant to the proposal.
Media
Make research, information, and developments available to media organizations covering the issue.
Negotiate
Listen to objections, identify areas of disagreement, and explore possible compromises concerning the proposal.
Track Results
Track legislative developments, public discussion, and changes occurring during the process.
Monitor Implementation
If a law changes, monitor implementation and identify whether the resulting process reflects the law's stated intent.
End Title IV-D Funding
This portion of the plan focuses on researching Title IV-D, its relationship to child-support enforcement and family courts, and possible alternatives to the current funding structure.
Research
Research the impact of Title IV-D on families, child support, and the court system and document the reasons for seeking changes to the program.
Identify Allies
Identify attorneys, judges, advocacy organizations, parents, researchers, and others interested in the issue.
Form a Coalition
Bring together people interested in examining Title IV-D and possible alternative approaches.
Develop a Proposal
Create a clear proposal describing the reasons for changing or ending Title IV-D funding and addressing alternative funding for child-support enforcement.
Legislative Engagement
Present the proposal, available research, and supporting information through the legislative process.
Organize Support
Coordinate supporters and provide information about the proposal and relevant legislative developments.
Public Hearings
Participate in public hearings and present research, testimony, or experiences relevant to the issue.
Media
Make research, documentation, and developments available to media organizations covering the issue.
Negotiate
Examine objections and possible alternative funding structures or compromises.
Track Results
Document legislative developments and changes occurring throughout the process.
Monitor Implementation
If funding structures change, monitor implementation and evaluate whether alternative child-support enforcement resources are sufficient and effective.
Fixing the Glitch Takes More Than One Person
The family-court system has existed for decades and involves courts, statutes, funding systems, professionals, agencies, parents, and children. Meaningful change requires education, organization, research, documentation, and sustained participation.
Pissed Off Parent provides educational information, personal experiences, research, publicly available documents, and commentary. Nothing on this page creates an attorney-client relationship or constitutes legal advice.