Sweden really wants dads to take paternity leave.
Sweden became the first country in the world to replace maternity leave with parental leave in 1974, with time off that either parent could take. While the onus was no longer on women to take time off work for childcare, the new law didn’t dramatically change gender roles with childcare. Mothers were still taking the vast majority of leave and the few men who did take it were nicknamed “velvet dads.”
To change this, the government introduced the so-called “daddy quota” in 1995. Fathers were given 30 days leave, which only they could use, to encourage them to stay at home. Failure to take the leave resulted in the loss of that month’s paid leave.
The introduction of the quota had a massive impact; the proportion of fathers taking any leave increased from 44% to 77% after it was initially introduced.
The law had the biggest impact on fathers on lower incomes and those born abroad, who increased their use of parental leave 
the most under the new take-it-or-leave-it formulation.The daddy quota was extended to 60 days in 2002, which also slightly increased the number of fathers taking leave, but had a less dramatic impact than the 1995 law. And on Jan. 1, the quota was extended to 90 days.The quota seems to have helped with equal parenting in Sweden; it retained more women in the workforce and now nine in 10 Swedish fathers take leave. But can it make much of a difference in other countries where there’s a greater disparity in parental leave use between women and men?
Pia Schober, a researcher who looks at gender differences in education, employment and household work at the German Institute for Economic Research, tells Quartz “the take-it-or-leave-it system is important to increasing the number of paternity leave, but only to an extent.”
She explains that since men aren’t likely to take leave if it’s badly paid, the daddy quota is less of an incentive in country’s where the mandatory pay during parental leave is low. Since Sweden has left paid at 80% of someone’s salary, initiatives like the daddy quota work quite well.
Source: How Sweden’s “daddy quota” parental leave helps with equal parenting – Quartz
We seek better lives for children through family court reform!! This Google+ Page is about the human rights of children with particular attention to the rights of special protection and care afforded to the young, including their right to association with both biological parents.
WHILE IN AMERICA…
American Fathers 
Children in joint custody arrangements had less behavior and emotional problems, had higher self-esteem, better family relations and school performance than children in sole custody arrangements. And these children were as well-adjusted as intact family children on the same measures, said Bauserman, “probably because joint custody provides the child with an opportunity to have ongoing contact with both parents.”
These findings indicate that children do not actually need to be in a joint physical custody to show better adjustment but just need to spend substantial time with both parents, especially with their fathers, said Bauserman. Also, joint custody couples reported less conflict, possibly because both parents could participate in their children’s lives equally and not spend the time arguing over childcare decisions. Unfortunately a perception exists that joint custody is more harmful because it exposes children to ongoing parental conflict. In fact, the studies in this review found that sole-custody parents reported higher levels of conflict.
It is important to recognize that the results do not support joint custody in all situations. When one parent is abusive or neglectful or has a serious mental or physical health problem, sole-custody with the other parent would clearly be preferable, said Bauserman. The judges, lawyers, social workers, psychologists and other professionals involved in divorce counseling and litigation should be aware of these findings to make informed decisions of what environment is best for a child in a custody situation.
http://www.causes.com/posts/966754
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Our Constitutional right to bear arms is front and center in state and federal legislatures. But where is the debate on protecting our basic human rights to parent our children? (also constitutionally protected by the 14th amendment) Every day in every state, mothers and fathers lose their basic human right to parent their children.
Why? Because the divorce industry wants your family’s money! Estimated at $170 Billion annually! How? We all have a family member, friend or neighbor who has been through a nasty divorce. Most of us believe children need both parents equally and that there exist a standard of 50/50 custody that the courts start from.
NOT TRUE!!!! THERE IS NO PARENTING TIME STANDARD!!! THIS LACK OF STANDARD CREATES 90% OF ALL DIVORCE CONFLICT AND DIVORCE LITIGATION!!! IT DESTROYS FAMILIES AND LIVES!!! STOP IT NOW!!!!!
In litigated divorce, there is no standard as to how children should spend their time between parents. The lack of a parenting time standard causes our children to be viewed as a prize where unethical lawyers and custody evaluators use them as pawns between parents. If there were a parenting time standard, it would resolve over half of divorce litigation taking place right now.
MAKE PRESUMPTIVE 50/50 THE REBUTTABLE STANDARD AND ELIMINATE CUSTODY EVALUATIONS
Start with the presumption that both parents are fit and entitled to an equal role in their children’s lives. This presumption is rebuttable only by findings of fact based upon a preponderance of evidence in abuse, neglect or addiction. Everything else unconstitutionally denies parents their rights to parent children.
ONLY OUR LEGISLATORS CAN PROTECT US FROM THE DESTRUCTION OF DIVORCE WITHOUT OBJECTIVE AND EQUAL STANDARDS
The divorce industry is $170B annually and motivated to oppose standards so they can create, promote and perpetuate conflict to increase billing hours exponentially. Have you ever heard “It’s only the lawyers who win in divorce”?
Add to lawyers: custody evaluators (duplicate roles in some states), criminal lawyers, courts, psychologists, therapists, investigators, GALs, an entire cottage industry of brokers! With overdue and demanded, simple and just changes to state statues, families and children can be forever protected from the ravages of the divorce industry by a simple and equal standard. The lack of a presumptive 50/50 rebuttable standard destroys lives and families, often forever. Children as pawns can be scared for life, arbitrarily lose a parent, or two, for life and are in much greater peril in life. Mothers and fathers lose their children and react badly. Suicide and homicide is not uncommon. Mothers and fathers can be jailed for protecting their children or going bankrupt. http://www.causes.com/campaigns/44294-enact-uniform-parenting-time-guidelines-separated-parents
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