The Children’s Rights Council (CRC)
The CRC (formerly the National Council for Children’s Rights) was founded in 1985, by Maryland attorney David L. Levy, whose wife divorced him and was awarded sole custody of the couple’s only son, Justin. Levy was subsequently ordered to pay child support.
Levy, an ultra-conservative fathers’ rights leader, created the CRC with his mission to change custody and child support laws globally to (1) codify parental alienation through the facially neutral language of “frequent, meaningful, and continuing contact;” (2) enforce a preference or presumption of joint custody; and (3) dissolve child support arrearage for deadbeat dads. CRC boasted over 35 state chapters across the U.S. and in 8 foreign countries.
David L. Levy, Founder of the CRC
“It is CRC’s hope that … the ‘trinity of mother, father and children’ will be seen as the ideal family structure for most children. And public policy will be based on encouraging that trinity.”
~ Levy, Spring 1999 CRC Newsletter
Contrary to the facts, the CRC lobbied aggressively to convince lawmakers that there is no link between domestic violence and "shared custody."
(See the 2001 CRC Newsletter, pictured right, written by Levy calling for his membership to oppose VAWA.)
Fathers Count Act of 1999 (HR 3073)
In the late 1990s, David L. Levy “advocated” Congress to include funding to faith-based fathers’ rights organizations such as his to further his goals.
The Act was primarily intended to increase TANF funding aimed at providing low-income fathers with beneficial wealth-building opportunities to help keep their families together.
The ACLU wrote testimony opposing federal funding going to faith-based organizations in violation of the Establishments Clause.
(2006 CRC conference magazine, pictured left.)
Hawaiʻi Voiced Concern
“The House rejected an amendment offered by Rep. Patsy Mink (D-HI) that would have changed the title of the bill to the Parents Count Act, changing any references from fathers to parents in the text of the bill.
As currently written, the bill allows for services to parents through the added eligibility category described above, but maintains references to fathers throughout the bill and, by defining services that are applicable exclusively to fathers, leaves some question as to how mothers would take advantage of the funded projects.
This summary will refer to fathers in order to follow the language of the bill as currently written.”
~ Footnote in A Summary of the “Children First Child Support Reform Act of 1999” and the “Fathers Count Act of 1999” - Center on Fathers, Families, and Public Policy
“Battering men use custodial access to the children as a tool to terrorize battered women or to retaliate for separation.”
~ Brigner (2003) - Ohio Domestic Violence Benchbook - a practical guide for judges and magistrates
CRC & Congress - Archive
The First Amendment's Establishment Clause prohibits the government from making any law “respecting an establishment of religion.”
