To the editor:
LD 209 an Act to Strengthen Grandparent Rights under the Grandparent Visitation Act is a bill that seeks to amend the Grandparent Visitation Act to include a definition for “sufficient existing relationship.” This bill will not just benefit grandparents but will benefit children who may be isolated from grandparents at a time when those children may need them most.
It is a story that becomes more familiar every day; a family is in crisis and Gramma and Papa are called on to help raise their grandchildren. Currently over four million children live in grandparent headed homes. This number has increased by 20 percent in the last 10 years. There are many reasons for this including; an economic downturn, teen pregnancies, substance abuse, or mental health challenges that impact a family. Whatever the reason, it is obvious that the family unit is more unique now than ever before and grandparents play a vital role in the family system.
Often times this arrangement works. There are times however, when this arrangement comes to a screeching halt following a divorce or death of a parent. In a moment’s time, the bond between grandparents and their grandchildren can be immediately severed. No good bye, no closure; just gone.
Do parents have the right to do this? Yes, parents have a fundamental right to raise their children without interference from the state. Opponents of this bill argue that the bottom line is that parents have a right to promote or prohibit their children from seeing whomever they deem fit. I don’t disagree. However, there are times when families require support from outside the immediate family. For instance, when abuse of those rights cause imminent danger to a child we have a system in place that will step in to assess the situation.
Another avenue to pursue when a family is in a parental right dispute is Maine’s family law system. Currently, in Maine statute, grandparents have the right to petition the court for visitation rights dependent on meeting the requirement of showing a “sufficient existing relationship.” That sounds reasonable until you realize that there is no definition for what constitutes a “sufficient existing relationship.”
We as a nation have decided that grandparent rights are important. Every state in the nation has created and passed legislation to acknowledge the value a grandparent has with their grandchildren. This bill gives us the opportunity make a positive impact on families without creating any fiscal impact to the state of Maine. In other words, passing this bill will not cost the people of Maine a dime. That is good news for everyone.
Passing this bill will show that we, not only, support the families of Maine but that we are paying attention to the citizen that doesn’t have a vote, doesn’t get to choose, and doesn’t have a voice.
Natali Plourde
MSW candidate 2013
UMaine-School of Social Work
Corinth
