Maine’s Grandparent Visitation Statute, 19-A M.R.S.A. 1801-1805, applies only to biological and adoptive grandparents, even though research has proven that a child has an independent constitutional right to maintain contact with a person with whom the child has developed a parent-like relationship.

The Santosky v. Kramer case of 1982 states: “…leaving the states free to experiment with various remedies has produced novel approaches and promising progress,” (speaking about the area of domestic relations) and yet Maine officials continue to live in the past with their feet firmly cemented in place.

The members of the Legislature need to catch up with changing times and start acting much more responsibly with children in regards to their psychological ties to others who have responsibly raised them.

I was forced to go to court after raising my grandchild for the first 7 months of her life, along with my husband who is the step-grandfather, and was forced to drop my case because of the disrespect shown to my husband. He was not being allowed to also be part of the case.

This statute needs to change in order to better protect our grandchildren involved. After all, they are the state’s most vulnerable citizens.

Karen Arsenault, Turner