Our membership is comprised of responsible men and women who are principally noncustodial fathers and wives of the second family. We believe in paying child support and supporting our children as stated in our goals. COPS was first established in October of 1992 and has become a leader in the fight to promote equity in family law.

While initially established due to child support amounts, COPS is now sponsoring bills which deal with other family law issues such as custody, visitation, domestic violence and retroactive penalty interest and spousal support. In each of these issues a common factor is found--equity. Equity lessens conflict, resulting in better relationships between the custodial and noncustodial parents thereby providing a healthier environment for our children.

There are chapters located throughout California. Members are involved in the political process through letter writing campaigns, interviews with the media, fundraising, and mass gatherings at the capitol. Become a member and join one of the fastest growing and widely respected political voice in the California Legislature today.
The Coalition of Parent Support welcomes inquiries from all interested parties.

HISTORY

In July of 1992, the California Legislature passed SB 370, enacting Civil Code 4721 (Family Code Section 4055 as of 1/1/94). The purpose of this legislation was to modestly increase child support amounts in an attempt to move people off welfare. But, the practical impact of the legislation was to effectively double child support amounts, and in some cases, increase it by 5 fold.

On October 16, 1992, a group of parents from Bakersfield met with legislative staff and the Judicial Council to voice their concerns regarding the application of the new guidelines. It was discovered that the data which upheld the need for the increased child support came from a report called the Dodson Study conducted by Diane Dodson of the National Women's Legal Defense Fund (funded by the Rockerfeller Foundation.) This study used hypothetical families--no actual data was ever used--to draw its results. This hypothetical study was never published and even today is unavailable for review. Real data shows that prior to the passage of SB 370, California was in the top 10 states for child support amounts; it now holds the undisputed #1 title.

Thus began a state-wide grassroots effort to bring equity to California Family Laws.

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