General Policy Goal:

Lifelong Recognition of the Stepparent and Stepchild Relationship

Stepparents serve as parents in all meaningful ways in a large percentage of American families. They provide economic and emotional support, perform child-raising tasks at home, and serve a parental role in the child’s world outside the home. The fact that they are not treated as parents in significant ways hinders their ability to parent and the child’s ability to thrive. While not reducing the biological parents’ role in any way, we believe that the additional recognition of stepparents will serve in the child’s best interest.

Recognition of Stepparents as Parents in Educational Settings. Permissions, releases.
Authority with teachers.
Financial aid.

Recognition of Stepparents as Parents in the Courts.
Participation in custody mediation and disputes during the marriage. Standing to request visitation/custody in the event of divorce. Facilitated adoption procedures.

Recognition of Stepparents as Parents in Health Care Decision-Making Emergency medical and dental care.
Participation in all other health care matters.

Recognition of Stepparents as Parents in the Community.
Sports and recreation leagues, police, fire and other community services, camps and clubs.

Recognition of the Financial Responsibility of Stepparent to Stepchildren During the Marriage and in the Event of Divorce.

Recognition of Stepchildren as Statutory Heirs.

Recognition of Stepchildren as Children for Purposes of Medical and All Other Employee Benefits During a Marriage and in the Event of Divorce or Death.

Recognition of Stepchildren as Children for Purposes of State and Federal Benefits During a Marriage and in the Event of Divorce or Death.

Submitted by the Advocacy Committee, Stepfamily Association of America:
Mary Ann Mason, JD, PhD, Chair (SAA Board; Graduate Dean,
University of California Berkeley)
Donald H. Field, MS (SAA Board; Vice President Policy, Volunteers of America) David L. Levy, JD (SAA Advisory Council; President, Children’s Rights Council) Margorie Engel, MBA, PhD (SAA President and CEO)
Approved by the Board of Directors, STEPFAMIL Y ASSOCIATION OF AMEICA (August 2000)