In the courts, many judges awarded custody based on the tender years doctrine. A child of tender years belonged with the mother because she was the person who provided the nurturing care that young children need. Mothers who wanted custody were assured of it, because it was in the child s best interest during these formative years. By the mid 1970s, the belief that custody decisions should be gender neutral was prevalent in most states. Either parent may now be awarded custody and receive child support.
Joint custody is another common alternative.
Some parents, especially fathers, have formed special interest groups to fight what they perceive to be unfair court settlements after divorce. POPS lobbies the legislature to reduce the child support schedule for the state. Its members frequently testify before committee hearings in support of their cause. Data in your assigned reading illustrate that approximately 60 percent of divorces include a child support award. Of those cases, about one half of the full award is received, while 25 percent of custodial parents receive partial awards and another 25 percent receive no award.