Would you support a law to terminate a parents rights due to abandonment?

[PrinceArchie]

I was just reading that in the US a biological parent can have their legal rights terminated if it can be proved they have been absent from their child’s life for over 4 months without any contact. Although I’m sure it isn’t as simple as that. But it recognises the rights of a child and a parents duties to that child:

The Duty to Care for the Child: This includes showing the child love and affection; meeting a child’s physical, mental and emotional needs; and reasonably protecting a child from outside harm or abuse.
The Duty to Provide for the Child: This includes providing a child with food, shelter, medical care, education and other financial needs

In the UK a father (or mother but generally a father) can disappear for years on end and then decide to part of their child’s life and more often than not be awarded contact with the child. Maintenance doesn’t come into it.

I really feel that we do not take the abandonment of children by their fathers seriously in this country. It’s now a norm and not seen as anything out of the ordinary.

Thoughts?

I'd definitely support it, my DS dad decided to disappear out his life for 5 years, not a single word until he then took me to court and they granted him contact - didn't take into account what my son wanted only that "dads have rights" yep they do but he chose to sod off for 5 years 🤷🏻‍♀️ think he lost that right then

@MamaOfBothTeams That’s horrendous. How can anyone possibly think that’s okay?!

@Bonewitch My skin is crawling with anxiety.

@IDontGiveABagOfDicks I know, he was only 3 so had no memories of him other than one bad one, he's counting down until he is 10 now just so the court will listen to him, I don't know how anyone could walk away from their children

How about rather than letting deadbeat parents off the hook, we put them in prison?

Most of them will sharpen up real quick and suddenly develop a new interest in condom use.

I think the point is that we are letting kids off the hook by not letting deadbeat dads have any say over decisions in their lives

Yes. I don't think a parent who abandons their child deserves to make decisions for them. 4 months is too short though.

My cousin is currently trying to change her surname but needs the consent of the father she hasn’t seen in about 10yrs. I definitely think this could be a good move.

I also think that parents who don’t pay maintenance for their children should have much harsher penalties. Paying for your children shouldn’t be optional.

Mine has only got in touch due to CMS finally catching him after so fucking long. If they hadn’t, he wouldn’t be doing it. It’s not pay per view, and you’re not willingly paying

I have an extremely good co parenting relationship with ExDP, he’s in every way a devoted and hands on father and the difference is fucking STARK.