Expanded Stepparent and Grandparent Third Party Childcare in Illinois

Southern Illinois University Law Journal, Vol 40, No. 1, 2015

10 Pages Posted: 13 May 2016

See all articles by Jeffrey A. Parness

Jeffrey A. Parness

Northern Illinois University - College of Law

Date Written: 2015

Abstract

Recognizing the need for reforms involving, inter alia, parental and third-party childcare interests, the Illinois General Assembly created a study committee, resulting in several proposed amendments to the Illinois Parentage Act and to the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act. After several years of debate and amendment, parentage and marriage dissolution law reforms were enacted in 2015. Unfortunately, the recent changes, and the earlier proposals arising from the study, insufficiently address the inadequacies of the current regimes on third-party childcare, especially childcare opportunities for stepparents and grandparents. This is especially problematic since there are few, if any, opportunities for Illinois stepparents and grandparents to become parents in the absence of formal adoption. General Assembly action is warranted. Suggested approaches follow.

Keywords: Stepparent, Grandparent, Childcare, Child Visitation, Child Custody, Parental Responsibility, Troxel, IMDMA, Parentage, De Facto Parent, Equittable Parent

Suggested Citation

Parness, Jeffrey A., Expanded Stepparent and Grandparent Third Party Childcare in Illinois (2015). Southern Illinois University Law Journal, Vol 40, No. 1, 2015, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2779254

Jeffrey A. Parness (Contact Author)

Northern Illinois University - College of Law ( email )

Swen Parson Hall
DeKalb, IL 60115
United States

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