Children's Bill of Rights

A Bill of Rights of Children 
(adopted from decisions of the Wisconsin Supreme Court and the Family Court of Milwaukee County)

1. The right to be treated as an interested and affected person and not as a pawn, possession or chattel of either or both parents;

2. The right to grow to maturity in that home environment which will best guarantee an opportunity for the child to mature and become a responsible citizen;

3. The right to the day-by-day love, care, discipline and protection of the custodial parent;

4. The right to know the noncustodial parent and to have the bene t of such parent’s love and guidance through adequate parenting time;

5. The right to a positive and constructive relationship with both parents, with neither parent to be permitted to degrade the other in the mind of the child;

6. The right to have moral and ethical values developed by precept and practices and to have limits set for the behavior so that the child may develop self- discipline and self-control;

7. The right to the most adequate level of economic support that can be provided by the best efforts of both parents;

8. The right to the same opportunities for education that the child would have had if the family unit had not been broken;

9. The right to periodic review of custodial arrangements and child support orders as the circumstances of the parents and the bene ts of the child may require;

10. The right to recognition that children involved in a divorce are always disadvantaged parties and that the law must take affirmative steps to protect their welfare, including a social investigation, and the appointment of a guardian ad litem to protect their interests.