Our story
About the campaign
Started by a family that has been through this, hoping no other child has to lose half of their family.
Why this campaign exists
This campaign was started by a family that has been through this. When a parent was gone, they saw how easily a child can lose that parent's whole side of the family, and how hard, slow and expensive it is to keep those bonds through the courts.
They chose to stay anonymous, to protect the children involved. What they want is simple: that no child who loses a parent also loses the grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins who love them, or the chance to know who their parent was.
The idea behind it
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child is the world's most widely accepted agreement on children's rights. It recognizes that children have a right to know their parents, to preserve their identity and family relations, and to stay in touch with a parent they are separated from.
The United States has not ratified the Convention. We're asking our lawmakers to protect these rights here, with four practical measures that would be in place before a family ever needs them.
- Article 7
A child's right, as far as possible, to know their parents and be cared for by them.
- Article 8
A child's right to preserve their identity, including their family relations.
- Article 9
A child's right to keep regular contact with a parent they are separated from, unless that is against the child's best interests.
You can protect your own family now
Until laws like these exist, most of these protections are not guaranteed, even when they are needed. You can still try to put some of these measures in place in advance, possibly through community resources, to protect your children, yourself, and your family in case of your own absence or loss of custody.
It's a gift to your children, to yourself and to everyone who loves them.
Questions and answers
Get in touch
Questions, ideas or a story you'd rather send by email? We'd love to hear from you.
Write to info@righttoknowmyparent.comHelp keep children close to the people who love them
It takes less than a minute. Your name tells lawmakers that this matters.
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