Shared Parenting Polling

National Parents Organization has commissioned polls of the beliefs and attitudes of Americans about shared parenting and how best to promote children’s well-being when parents are living apart. These polls, conducted over recent years by respected, independent polling companies, show an overwhelming consensus that equal shared parenting is in children’s best interest and that there should be a legal presumption that this is so. The polling also shows that the vast majority of American’s believe that awards of sole custody increase conflict between parents and that most people would be more likely to vote for a political candidate who supports children spending equal or nearly equal time with each parent in cases of divorce.

To see the polling results for those states where NPO has commissioned polls (shown in darker blue), please select the state from the map on this page and click on that state’s image. (A one-page summary of some of the recent polling results is available here.) If a poll has not been conducted in your state, please click on your state to see how you can donate to a campaign to fund a survey in your state. Clearly demonstrating the overwhelming consensus of Americans on shared parenting will put pressure on state legislators to enact laws that truly promote the best interest of children.

In 2018, NPO led a successful campaign in Kentucky to create the nation’s strongest shared parenting law. Subsequent research has shown that the law is extremely popular with those in the Bluegrass State and that it has reduced both contested divorce cases and cases of domestic violence. 

Research has clearly supported the public consensus on the value of equal shared parenting even in cases where the parents don’t both agree to that arrangement and even where there is (nonviolent) conflict between the parents. 

For more information on polling contact National Parents Organization at parents@sharedparenting.org.