Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Family Law Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

William & Mary Journal of Race, Gender, and Social Justice

Best Interests of the Child Doctrine

Discipline
Publication Year

Articles 1 - 2 of 2

Full-Text Articles in Family Law

Mothers Without Borders: Undocumented Immigrant Mothers Facing Deportation And The Best Interests Of Their U.S. Citizen Children, Satya Grace Kaskade Feb 2009

Mothers Without Borders: Undocumented Immigrant Mothers Facing Deportation And The Best Interests Of Their U.S. Citizen Children, Satya Grace Kaskade

William & Mary Journal of Race, Gender, and Social Justice

This note addresses how deportation of undocumented immigrants affects the U.S. citizen children of those immigrants. The author examines this issue by studying the story of Marta Escoto, a woman facing deportation and also the mother and sole caregiver of a U.S. citizen child with a severely debilitating disease. If Escoto is deported and forced to return to her home country of Honduras, her daughter will likely be unable to continue to receive adequate and necessary health care. Mothers like Escoto who face deportation often plead the well-being of their children, but few can satisfy the high burden of proving …


The Psychological Consequences Of Judically Imposed Closets In Child Custody And Visitation Disputes Involving Gay Or Lesbian Parents, Nancy G. Maxwell, Richard Donner Oct 2006

The Psychological Consequences Of Judically Imposed Closets In Child Custody And Visitation Disputes Involving Gay Or Lesbian Parents, Nancy G. Maxwell, Richard Donner

William & Mary Journal of Race, Gender, and Social Justice

This article examines child custody and visitation cases in which courts operate under the assumption that parents who live openly as sexual minorities will harm their children. Based on this assumption, courts frequently impose restrictions on parents, requiring them to live closeted lives in order to have access to their children. Part I of this article introduces the concept of the judicially imposed closet as courts have applied it through several custody and visitation cases. Part II examines social science research concerning the psychological impact of "family secrets" on parents and children as well as research on sexual minority parenting. …