The Child Custody Support Center

Every person is unique, but when you face a challenge like child custody, you are never alone.  Countless people have faced the exact same issue and have survived and thrived.  The following guide is designed to help you navigate your journey with the best information and resources that helped other survivors when they faced the same challenge. 

TSC has scoured the Internet and assembled links to the very best child custody resources: articles, blogs, forums and tools that can help you make better decisions and take action to overcome the range of physical, emotional and other challenges that you face.

As you’ll see, we always welcome your ideas and suggestions to make this Child Custody Guide even more helpful to survivors like you.   

JUST FOUND OUT 

Survivors Say: Best Resources for Child custody

• Child Custody Network
  
• Free Advice: Child Custody Law 
• American Psychological Association: Guidelines for Child Custody Evaluations in Divorce Proceedings
  

The Big Picture

Child custody is a legal term used to describe the relationship between child and parent on a legal playing field. Child custody includes the right of a parent to make decisions for the child as well as the parent’s duty to care for a child. Most often, child custody comes into play in cases of divorce or allegations of mistreatment. In cases of child custody, it is important to keep the best interests of the child in mind.

Your Child custody

To better understand child custody, read this legal definition and the cases where it applies:

Free Online Law Dictionary: Child Custody

Because child custody is most often used in case of divorce, this may also help to understand how child custody works:

Divorce Support: Child Custody Basics

Your World

After going through a trauma that would make child custody necessary, whether it is divorce or abuse or something else, finding support is important. Visit this link to make sure your child gets the support he or she needs.

Child Welfare Information Gateway

Child custody Myths

• Allegations of abuse are false when it comes to child custody battles
  
• Men leave their children after divorce
  
• Child custody is never awarded to abusive parents
  

Information and Recommended Links for Survivors

• Children's Protection Alliance
  
• Children's Justice 
• Child Welfare League of America
  

Types of Treatment

Parental Agreement

Parents arrange a child custody system that is mutually beneficial to both them and the children:

Win Child Custody: Learn How to Win or Defend Custody

Court arranged child custody

If the parents are unable to reach an agreement in regard to child custody, the court will intervene and make a decision regarding child custody:

Child Help USA 

Creating a support circle

• Set up your TSC Survivor Profile
• Join support groups of other survivors or set up your own
• Interact and provide updates on your profile or our forums

The Emotional Roller-coaster

Dealing with child custody is a difficult task in any instance in which it occurs, from divorce to abuse. Even if the negotiations are peaceful, it is often an emotionally debilitating process. To help you deal with the stress and get through your battle with child custody as easily as possible, it is important that you maintain a close facsimile to your former lifestyle and ensure your children have a routine that they are comfortable with. Support groups and learning about how others got through child custody battles can help you and your loved ones deal with the crisis.

Books Survivors Recommend

• The Art and Science of Child Custody Evaluations
• The Child Custody Book: How to Protect Your Children and Win Your Case
• Fathers' Rights: Hard-Hitting & Fair Advice for Every Father Involved in a Custody Dispute
• Winning Custody: A Woman's Guide to Retaining Custody of Her Children

What Survivors Wish They’d Known

Dealing with Child custody: Information and Recommended Links for Co-Survivors      

How you can help

• Assist your friend or family member with their day-to-day duties or chores, picking up where a spouse may have left off, but allowing them to adjust to their new life.
• Be supportive and ask how you can help before taking over.
• Keep the children active to keep their minds off their new living arrangements.

What to say   

• "You can talk to us anytime”
• "Do you have any questions?”
• Tell them how much you care about them

What not to say

• Don’t bad mouth the ex-spouse
• "You can do anything you want"
• Don’t ask about the other parent

Things you can do for a survivor every day

Children can be disoriented with their new routine. Be consistent and help them as they establish a new groove. Help out the single parent with errands and tasks that their former spouse may have taken care of.

How to build a support network

• Set up your TSC Co-Survivor Profile
• Create a support group for your friend or family member.
• Interact and provide updates

How to help a survivor deal with day-to-day challenges

• Preparing the School for Your Child with Child custody: Child Custody - Education Experts & School Accidents

After going through a child custody battle, both parents and children need time to heal and understand their new circumstances. To help you recover:

Remission / Recovery / Recurrence    

To help children of divorce as well as parents understand the emotional turmoil of child custody:

Kids Turn: A Non-Profit Organization To Help Families Through Parental Separation

For an incredible story of a child custody survivor and the feelings he experienced during the process and after recovery, take a look at:

Divorce Story: Along the Road

Give back

What helped you while you were dealing with child custody issues and realized you had survived? Take a look back at your journey and share with other what helped you and what you wished you would have known/done during your child custody experience. You can create a profile, reach out to other survivors, join support circles or share your story by following the links at TheSurvivorsClub.org. Check out some of the best charities for supporting child custody research or offering support to survivors:

Stop Child Abuse: Support the Children's Charity

If you lose your rights to child custody:

Divorce HQ: Child Custody