There is currently a bill claiming that single parenting is a contributing factor to child abuse. Glenn Grothman introduced this bill, and State Representative Donald Pridemore is co-sponsoring. Grothman wishes to amend current state law by “requiring the Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board to emphasize non-marital parenthood as a contributing factor to child abuse and neglect.” This new bill would require that educational information be made public that single parenting is abusive and neglectful to children. Grothman says the primary role of fathers in the household is the “prevention of child abuse and neglect.” He believes that single mothers are the main concern of this new bill.
He criticized social workers for not agreeing with him that children should only be raised by two biological parents. The Senator believes that this new bill will make “more people (pay) attention and (have) children after they’re married” or it will lead others to make the choice for adoption. He goes on to say “50 years ago it was very rare for a child to be raised without a mother and a father at home; and in the few cases that it did happen, everybody knew that child was at risk.” Grothman articulates that everyone criticizes “old-fashioned families,” but he is an unmarried man and has no children.
Some people say, he has never experienced marriage or parenthood, and therefore has no right in generalizing that section of the population. Amanda Shilts, who became a single mom at 15, says single parents “get this look of pity” that says “you’re a single parent that’s so hard.” She goes on to say “do you really have to tie one more negative thing to it like abuse?”
Another person against Grothman who spoke out against the bill publically was Edward Kuharski. He called it “off target.” His reasons were that the bill was “stating an opinion and that appears to be the entire purpose of this bill: simply to assert an opinion and impose it upon an expert body that knows perfectly well how to do its business.” Kuharski goes on to repeat what a majority of the Wisconsin population has been saying, “Senator Grothman has no experience in parenting; before you put a larger target on the back of people that you have attacked through many other bills, stop and take some responsibility for it.”
Single parents make up one-third of Wisconsin’s population, and this bill would have a profound impact on their lifestyles.
