California Bill Will Allow Children to Have More Than Two Parents

In a move for modern families, California lawmakers are currently considering a bill that will allow children to have more than two parents, reports The Sacramento Bee.  The bill aims to eliminate the current two-parent-per-child law without expanding the definition of who can qualify as a parent. The bill will also apply equally to men and women, and to straight and gay couples.

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“The bill brings California into the 21st century, recognizing that there are more than Ozzie and Harriet families today,” Senator Mark Leno, who introduced the bill, said.

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The inspiration for the bill came from a 2011 state appellate court case in which a young girl went into state custody after her two mothers were unable to care for her; one of the mothers was sent to prison and the other was hospitalized. Although her biological father wished to care for the girl, the court ruled that he could not be a legal guardian due to California’s two-parent law.

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The bill proposes that families with three or more parents will share custody, financial responsibility and visitation for the child—this will be determined after a judge assesses each parent’s personal wealth and connection to the child in question. The bill has already passed the Senate and is now in the Assembly.

What do you think of this bill? Should a child have more than two parents?