MEP launches "Recalculation Program" (aka RP)

Alberta Justice - responsible for the "Maintenance Enforcement Program" (MEP, the group who acts as a collection agency for Child Support payments within Alberta) is apparently scheduled to launch it's "Child Support Recalculation Program (RP)" tomorrow. (http://www.justice.gov.ab.ca/recalculation)

This program will allow "creditors/debtors" a low-cost, alternative administrative process to changing child support payments - rather than undertaking a costly, time consuming and sometimes intimidating/challenging court procedure that has been in place up to now.

The program is intended to cover mostly "plain vanilla" situations where:

• a child support order has been issued, registered, is outstanding and has been followed.
• will be permitted once every 12 months.
• minimal cost of $75 per application.

Undoubtedly as this program is just starting, procedures will be adopted and implemented as experience grows. More details can be found at the Alberta Justice website. Stay tuned.

Judge reverses parental alienation ruling

Unfortunate news on landmark case .

Heather Capannelli | Publication Date: Monday, 09 November 2009 - Law Times

In another case underscoring the controversy over parental alienation workshops, Justice Thea Herman of the Ontario Superior Court struck down part of an arbitrator’s award earlier this year that would have removed two teenage boys from the custody of their father and sent them to Texas. The decision follows a series of judgments in which Ontario courts have ordered a change in custody and sent the custodial parent along with the children to participate in the workshop.

In S.G.B. v. S.J.L., the court set aside part of an award concluding that the workshop was in the best interest of the boys because the arbitrator relied too heavily on an assessment of them prepared by Richard Warshak, who admitted he hadn’t met them personally.

In his testimony and written evidence, the psychologist and author explicitly declined to make recommendations with respect to the children because he had never observed them before. [more]

How can we progress against the Child Abuse of PAS when Judges do not hold PA accountable? I also feel that many Child Assessments could use video-conferences effectively, at least in the beginning. Save the air-travel for intervention/treatment. But this is a depressing turn of events.

We must continue to educate as many as possible in Family Law about PAS. I maintain that Vellacott's PMB-C422 remains an excellent 1st step and invite EVERYONE to contact their MP/MLA about it.

CTV W5 airs segment on PAS - Sat Nov 7@7pm + Sun Nov 8@12 noon

RED ALERT

I have just heard from Rhonda that CTV W5 will broadcast segment on PAS entitled "Poisoned Minds: Children On The Frontlines Of Divorce" this Sat Nov 7, 2009 at 7pm (local). Typically it is re-broadcast the next day (Sunday) at noon as well. In case you miss BOTH of those - it should be up online at http://www.ctv.ca/w5/ - afterwards.

Rhonda is a member of PAAO in Central Alberta, having been affected by it her whole life. I encourage everyone to watch this program. I will attempt to post link or YouTube video here afterwards.

Regards, crj

For the Sake of The Children Marathon of Hope

I have just learned about this fellow, Dave NASH who is planning "For the Sake of The Children Marathon" in the Spring of 2010!

He is currently looking for a sponsors - a few major and/or regional/local ones - to help him along his route, which is going to be ACROSS THE Whole Nation!

He will start his race on April 25, 2010 - Parental Alienation Awareness Day.

Stay tuned! But I would like everyone to start thinking how we can 1) promote this to every location across the province in advance and 2) begin soliciting sponsorships to support Dave in his odyssey next spring.

Let's REALLY get behind this!

Sincerely,
Chris Jones

Rodney STAFFORD arrives in Edmonton

Rodney STAFFORD arrived in Edmonton today - at the end of his long bike tour from Ontario to honour the memory of his daughter, Tori.

The welcome was at the West Edmonton Mall and it was quite impressive. ChildFind Alberta had arranged the event along with Rodney's sister, Rebecca. Staff from the RCMP and Corrections Canada provided the manpower to run the the "Child ID" fingerprinting kits and a number of very talented kids provided entertainment. There was also a silent auction of many interesting items, including a brand new unused version of the bike Rodney rode on his trip.

Rhonda had the foresight to bring a gift of "balloon art" in the shape of PAAO's entwined hearts logo! And Jimmy's young son, 5-yr old Keegan got up his courage to present it to Rodney (with out letting go as it would have floated up to the roof!). Rodney was obviously very touched by Keegan's gift and thanked him. CTV Edmonton had a clip of Rhonda hugging Rodney after he received the balloon art on evening newscast, and Global Edmonton Newscast - Sat Sep 19, Evening News 6pm.

The Medea Complex and Parental Alienation

I was introduced to this interesting blog by Annabelle. In particular, this long piece entitled "The Medea Complex and the Parental Alienation Syndrome: When Mothers Damage Their Daughter’s Ability to Love a Man” caught my attention. (Image to the left is famously beautiful operatic diva, Maria CALLAS who won a certain amount of notoriety for her role in this technically demanding opera by Luigi Cherubini. It a dark but dangerously alluring image that is imprinted in my early childhood as my parents had an LP collection including CALLAS in what was to become her signature role "Medea. It is a powerfully arresting photo.)

In the article Robert M. Gordon states that:

"I will bring together two separate issues: the Medea complex and the Parental Alienation Syndrome. To my knowledge, I have not seen these two concepts brought together. I believe that the Medea Complex in divorcing mothers is a frequent cause of Parental Alienation Syndrome."

Rodney STAFFORD - Kids for Kilometers

Rodney STAFFORD is getting closer to Alberta - still on target for arrival in Edmonton Sept 18. He had gotten loads of support over his trek which is good to see.

BraveHeartWomen.com - Conscious Co-Parenting

Conscious TV - Today's Show Conscious Co-Parenting @ Yahoo! Video

Very positive show from the US with (stunningly beautiful women - only in LA!) Guest Dorcy Russell, the founder of the "Conscious Co-Parenting Institute". I enjoyed it and hope you do too.

Kilometers for Kids arrives Sept 2 in Edmonton

I have recently found out that Rodney STAFFORD - father of Tori STAFFORD who was abducted/murdered in April/May - will be undertaking a 3,200km Bike Tour from Woodstock ON (where they lived) to Edmonton AB (where his sister lives) in his daughter memory. He departs on August 2 and expects to arrive in Edmonton September 2. Once here he will travel with his family to Jasper and release a purple balloon for Tori who had enjoyed her trip to the mountain park last summer on a visit to her aunts, before her life was so cruelly taken.

Obviously Rodney STAFFORD, Tori, her brother and her mom Tara McDonald were like many separated families trying to deal with the aftermath of a breakup and in new relationships etc. and were trying to juggle all of the complex interactions. I recall reading that in the months before the end, Tori had written her dad a letter asking him to stay in her life as I suppose they must have had some difficulties. Very human and understandable.

I have been in touch with Mr. STAFFORD via email and am asking for everyone's help. It can be anything - cash donations, support vehicles, accommodation enroute (not clear right now, will be decided soon) riders to accompany the team throughout Alberta, Welcome Groups/PR or Promotion in various towns - anything, really. In addition we want to have a BIG WELCOME on his Arrival Sep 2 - TBA!

If you have something to contribute or and idea, let me know at albertapaao@gmail.com or call 406-565-4594 and leave message so I can get back to you.

Gender bias evident in parental alienation cases

I apolgize for not including this earlier - my excuse is I do not get the Globe & Mail. Thanks to Mike for bringing it to my attention.

As to prevalence by gender, I don't think this "study" proves anything except what popular opinion already reflects, but it is pretty clear that this is not a "representative" sample (among the potential methodological weaknesses I could foresee). Dr. Amy BAKER in her book Breaking the ties that Bind contends that she sees the breakdown as 50/50 - but admits that is not a rigourous evaluation either. It is only based on feedback from her website. In any event, I'm not sure it matters unlss one wants to claim male or female "superority or victimhood". Given the greater numbers of women gaining sole custody, it seems more likely they can exercise PA more often than men. It is also very likely that the cost of fighting a PA Battle discourages many men and women of even thinking of going through the courts, so they would not show up.

I recall Shelly JONES saying that "PA is equal-opportunity child abuse because bad behaviour knows no gender."

Gender bias evident in parental alienation cases

Mothers are more likely to be the parent behind children's estrangement, yet fathers more often ordered into counselling, study finds. KIRK MAKIN March 28, 2009

JUSTICE REPORTER -- A study of alienated children has found that mothers were significantly more likely to be the parent who emotionally poisoned their children than were fathers.

Toronto family lawyer Gene Colman told a Toronto symposium yesterday that of 74 court rulings that found parental alienation since 1987, the mother was the alienator in 50 cases. The father was the alienating parent in 24.

"I'm not trying to dump on moms," Mr. Colman told about 150 psychologists, family lawyers, mediators and activist parents. "I'm just saying, that is what the data reveal."

In parental alienation syndrome, an estranged parent systematically brainwashes a child into hating the other parent. The profile of the syndrome escalated over the past year, after three Ontario judges ordered that children be removed from an alienating parent and taken to U.S. clinics for deprogramming therapy.

Mr. Colman said that alienating fathers were twice as likely to be ordered to undergo counselling as were mothers in alienation cases - a finding that raises serious questions about whether judges are exhibiting gender biases. Twelve of the 50 alienating mothers in his study were ordered into counselling, as compared with 13 of 24 fathers. "As social scientists will tell you, that is a high level of statistical significance in terms of differential treatment by gender," Mr. Colman said. "As lawyers and judges, we have to be vigilant to make sure that we ... are not influenced by whether the mom is the alienator or the dad is the alienator.

There should be no differential in how either gender is dealt with." The other findings in Mr. Colman's study included: The number of parental alienation cases has shot up from 21 between1987 and 2000 to 53 between 2000 and 2008. Fathers who had their alienated children switched from their homes were granted some form of access by the courts in a "much lower" percentage of cases than were mothers. Fathers who alienate their children are somewhat more likely to have their children removed from their residence and relocated with the mother. Mr. Colman said that of cases where the father was the alienator, children were ordered to switch to the mother's residence in 78 per cent of cases. In contrast, 62 per cent of the mothers who alienated their children had them switched to the father's home. "It would seem that if you are the dad, you have a greater probability of having the residence changed on you," said Mr. Colman, founding editor of the Canadian Journal of Family Law and founding member of the Canadian Equal Parenting Council.