Given the number of divorces, it's no surprise that many thousands of divorce organizations exist around the US. Some are for single parents and some just for singles. Some cater to the needs of parents without custody, others to the political agendas of divorced moms or divorced dads. We cannot hope to list every organization in the section, below. However, we hope that the broad spectrum of national groups presented will enable you to link, either directly or through referral, to the information, support, and friendship that you need.

Children and Divorce: Child Rights, Child Custody, Child Support, and Missing Children

National Association of Child Advocates
1522 K Street, NW, Suite 600,
Washington, DC 20005
Eve Brooks, President
Phone: (202) 289-0777; Fax (202) 289-0776
According to Miriam Rollin, who works with policy and programming, NACA strives to change policy in areas of health care, education, child care, child support, and juvenile justice. Although NACA and its 44 member organizations do not provide individual services, they can provide information on the most current legislation and policy. You can reach member organizations around the country by calling or faxing the Washington, DC, office. Link from here to local groups devoted to child support enforcement, single parents, noncustodial parents, stepfamilies, and father's rights. Association Quote: "Our mission is to provide a voice for children and their families on issues of critical concern--welfare reform; federal food assistance programs for children; health care; affordable, quality child care; and enforcement of court-ordered child support--at the national and local levels."

Children's Foundation
725 15th Street, NW, Suite 505
Washington, DC 20005-2109
Kay Hollestelle, Executive Director
Phone: (202) 347-3300; Fax: (202) 347-3382

Children's Rights Council
220 I Street, NE, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20002
David Levy, President
Phone: (202) 547-6227; Fax: (202) 546-4272
A national, nonprofit organization dedicated to assisting children of separation and divorce through advocacy and parenting education.

Association for Children for Enforcement of Support (ACES)
2260 Upton Avenue
Toledo, OH 43606
Geraldine Jensen, President
Phone: (419) 472-0047; Fax: (419) 472-6295; Toll-free: 800-537-7072
A self-help, nonprofit child-support organization. Teaches custodial parents what they need to do to collect child support. Has 350 chapters all across the United States. Call, write, or fax for information on how to contact a chapter in your area.

Committee for Mother and Child Rights
210 Ole Orchard Drive,
Clear Brook, VA 22624-1647
ElizaBeth Owen, Coordinator
Phone: (540) 722-3652
A national organization "offering emotional support and guidance for mothers with child custody problems." The Committee is "concerned with the various abuses often associated with contested custody: mental, physical, and sexual." Says ElizazBeth Owen, "Most times, if custody is contested, the man will get custody. We are strictly advocates for women and children." This group can provide names of attorneys and other experts in child custody issues, including sexual abuse issues.

National Association of Counsel for Children
1205 Oneida Street,
Denver, CO 80220
Marvin Ventrell, Executive Director
Phone: (303) 322-2260; Fax: (303) 329-3523; e-mail: NACCNATL@aol.com
According to Miriam Rollin, President of the Board of NACC, members are individuals who provide legal and social work help in the areas of divorce, custody, abuse, neglect, termination of parental rights, foster care, adoption, and delinquency. The national office in Denver provides referrals to attorneys.

Organization for the Enforcement of Child Support
1712 Deer Park Road, Finksburg, MD 21048
Elaine M. Fromm, President
Phone and fax: (410) 876-1826
This is a self-help group that provides educational services and information on laws and proceedings regarding child support issues. "We teach people to help themselves." Will send out a packet of literature for a stamped, self-addressed envelope. If making a long-distance call is a financial problem, people can call at a reduced rate until 1 PM Eastern Standard time.

Parents Sharing Custody, Network International
420 S. Beverly Drive, Suite 100, Beverly Hills, CA 90212
Linda Blakely, Ph.D., Executive Officer
Phone: (310) 286-9171
This was formerly a national nonprofit organization, but was redefined as a national membership network for families who are involved in the cooperative raising of their children. A resource for parents searching for information and solutions, Parents Sharing Custody publishes a newsletter, called Do It With Love, and a book of the same title. They also sell video and audio tapes and sponsor periodic conferences and an ongoing network of meetings in other states.

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
2101 Wilson Blvd., Suite 550, Arlington, VA 22201-3052
Ernie Allen, President and CEO
Phone: (703) 235-3900; Fax: (703) 235-4067; Toll-free: (800) 826-7653 and 800-843-5678 (24-hour Hotline to report missing children)
According to Naheed Qureshi, NCMEC gives legal and technical assistance and can look into parental abduction cases if the parent reporting the abduction has custody and if the child has been entered into their computer system as a missing juvenile. If the child has not been so entered, that should be done first, before a listing can be made. NCMEC also publishes a list of local, nonprofit organizations involved in recovering missing children throughout the the United States. To get a listing for a group in your area, call, write, or fax NCMEC.

Find the Children
11811 W. Olympic Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90064
Judy Sadowsky, Executive Director
Phone: (310) 477-6721; Fax: (310) 477-7166
"A national nonprofit organization dedicated to the prevention, location, and recovery of missing and abducted children." The group provides educational materials and training, registers missing children, and manages specific cases, distributing photographs and descriptive information about missing children, working with other organizations in the field, maintaining a referral list of professionals all over the country who can help families of missing children, providing emotional support to families of missing children, and giving referrals for postrecovery counseling. "All services to victim families and their children are provided free of charge."

Divorce and The Law: Matrimonial Attorneys, Mediation, Conciliation, and Dispute Resolution

American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers
150 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 2040
Chicago, IL 60601
Sandra Murphy, President
Phone: (312) 263-6477; Fax: (312) 263-7682
Can provide referrals to board-certified attorneys specializing in matrimonial and family law. Chapters all over the United States and in other countries.

American Bar Association
750 N. Lake Shore Drive
Chicago, IL 60611
Robert A. Stein, Executive Director
Phone: (312) 988-5000; Fax: (312) 988-6281
Has 400,000 members. Can provide a listing of state bar associations and can also provide numbers for referral services by state.

Association of Family and Conciliation Courts
329 W. Wilson Street
Madison, WI 53703
John W. Kydd, President
Phone: (608) 251-4001; Fax: (608) 251-2231; e-mail: afcc@igc.apc.org
An international association of judges, lawyers, counselors, custody evaluators, and mediators. Maintains a library of videos, pamphlets, and other publications on custody and visitation issues, child support, mediation, and more. Some titles include : Guide for Stepparents, Twenty Questions Divorcing Parents Ask About Their Children, and Preparing for Your Custody Evaluation. Call, write, or fax for an order form. This group also sponsors parent education programs and conferences on a wide range of child welfare issues. AFCC's membership directory is available to nonmembers for $15.

Single Parents

Parents Without Partners
401 North Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611-4267
Kathleen Bell, Executive Director
Phone: (312) 644-6610; Free: (800) 637-7974
Resources are provided through local chapters (Call the toll-free number to get contact information for the chapter nearest to you.) Provides information on child support and custody issues for both custodial and noncustodial parents.

National Organization of Single Mothers
PO Box 68
Midland, NC 28107-0068
Phone: (704) 888-5437
"We offer support by providing our members a network dedicated to helping single parents face the challenges of daily life with wisdom, wit, dignity, confidence, and courage," group literature explains. Also publishes a newsletter called Single Mother, which can be ordered by sending $1 for postage and handling to the above address. A year's membership costs $12.97.

Single Parent Resource Center
31 E. 28th St., 2nd fl.
New York, NY 10016
Phone: (212) 951-7030
Suzanne Jones, Executive Director
"Seeks to establish a network of local single parent groups so that such groups will have a collective political voice." Provides information and support on issues important to single parents.

Moms and Divorce Legal and Emotional Support For Divorced Women With Children

National Center on Women and Family Law
275 Seventh Avenue, Suite 1206
New York, NY 10001-6708
Nechama Masliansky, Executive Director
Phone: (212) 741-9480; Fax: (212) 741-6438; e-mail: HN1193@handsnet.org
A nonprofit organization that seeks "to address family law issues, particularly those affecting low-income women." Provides technical and legal consultation and training to attorneys, judges, mental health workers, law enforcement personnel, and others in areas such as domestic violence, child custody, and other family law issues. Provides information and support to low-income women and their children in these areas. Publishes articles, manuals, information packets, handbooks, and a national newsletter. Helps draft and prepare legislation and friend-of-the-court briefs in critical cases throughout the United States.

National Women's Law Center
11 Dupont Circle NW, Suite 800
Washington, DC 20036
Nancy Duff Campbell, Co-President
Phone: (202) 588-5180
Works to guarantee equality for women under the law and to seek protection and advancement of their legal rights and issues at all levels. Areas of interest include child support enforcement, dependent care, and the family.

Women's Law Project
125 S. 9th St., Suite 401
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Carol Tracy, Executive Director
Phone: (215) 928-9801; Fax: (215) 928-9848
This non-profit feminist law firm challenges sex discrimination in the law and in legal and social institutions. This group also maintains telephone counseling and referral services on women's legal rights concerns and community education.

Women's Legal Defense Fund
1825 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 710
Washington, DC 20009
Joan Entmacher, Contact; Judith Lichtman, President
Phone: (202) 986-2600; Fax: (202) 986-2539

Women's Legal Defense Fund
1825 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 710
Washington, DC 20009
Joan Entmacher, Contact; Judith Lichtman, President
Phone: (202) 986-2600; Fax: (202) 986-2539
The Women's Legal Defense Fund is devoted to securing equal rights for women through litigation, advocacy and monitoring, legal counseling and information, and public education. The group advocates for women's rights in family law, employment, and education, among other areas, and publishes newsletters, handbooks, manuals, and brochures.

Domestic Abuse: Support For Adult and Child Victims of Psychological Abuse, Violence, or Rape

AMEND (Abusive Men Exploring New Directions)
777 Grant Street, Suite 600
Denver, CO 80203
Robert C. Gallup, Executive Director
Phone: (303) 832-6363; Fax: (303) 832-6364
Provides therapy for abusive men and advocacy for women as well as violence prevention programs in the schools. Can also provide specific information on help resources for women in violent relationships.

Child Abuse Listening and Mediation (CALM)
PO Box 90754, Santa Barbara, CA 93190
Claudia Amaro, Contact
Phone: (805) 965-2376; 24-hour listening service (bilingual): (805) 569-2255
Helps parents who are having difficulty coping with stress in their lives and are afraid they might hurt their children. Provides counseling for families in which abuse has occurred and for families that are at risk for abuse to occur. Provides support groups for parents of children who have been abused and for children who have been abused by a family member. Also provides support groups for the purpose of educating parents and improving relationships between parents and children. Respite care available. Referrals provided to other organizations and services.

Child Welfare League of America
440 1st Street, NW, Suite 310
Washington, DC 20001
David S. Liederman, Executive Director
Phone: (202) 638-2952; Fax: (202) 638-4004
Over 800 member agencies in the United States and Canada. Call, write, or fax to obtain information on how to contact a group in your area.

National Clearinghouse on Marital and Date Rape
2325 Oak Street
Berkeley, CA 94708
Laura X, contact
Phone: (510) 524-1582
Provides phone consultations for the fee of $7.50 for 15 minutes. Initial annual subscription fee of $15 for individuals.

Texas Coalition Against Domestic Violence
National Hotline Number: 1-800-799-SAFE

Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Toll-Free Number: (800) 537-2238
Operates National Resource Center on Domestic Violence. One of the most active coalitions in the country in terms of number of battered women's shelters operated, treatment and education programs, and legislation initiatives.

Dads and Divorce: Legal and Emotional Support For Divorced Men With Children

National Congress for Fathers and Children
PO Box 171675
Kansas City, KS 66117-1675
Travis Ballard, President
Phone: (913) 342-3860 or (202) FATHERS (switches over to the Kansas City number); Fax: (913) 342-1414; Free: (800) 733-DADS
Helps fathers who wish to remain actively involved in their children's lives, regardless of their marital status. Membership includes a reading list and a 150-page manual containing information on divorce, children, and the law. "We teach fathers to solve their own problems and to take the time to find out their rights before going to a lawyer," explains Joe McMillen, a board member.

National Fatherhood Initiative
600 Eden Road, Bldg. #E
Lancaster, PA 17601
Wade Horn, Ph.D., Director; David Blankenhorn, Chairman of the Board
Phone: (717) 581-8860; Fax: (717) 581-8862; Free: (800) 790-DADS
This organization is dedicated to improving the well-being of children through the promotion of responsible fatherhood in society. "Working with local media, community, church, and school," says David Blankenhorn, President, "we present to society the idea that fathers are a very important part of a child's life."

The Fathers' Rights and Equality Exchange
701 Welch Road, #323
Palo Alto, CA 94304
Ann Mitchell, founder
Phone: (415) 853-6877 and (500) FOR DADS; e-mail: free@vix.com
Parenting is a 50/50 proposition. Fathers and mothers should share equally in the parenting and support of their children within and without the institution of marriage. This is an international group with members in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, and Japan.

Blended Family Support: For Stepparents and Their Spouses

Stepfamily Association of America
215 Centennial Mall S., Suite 212
Lincoln, NE 68508
William F. Munn, Executive Director
Phone: (402) 477-7837; Fax: (402) 477-8317
Has 60 chapters all over the United States and one in Canada. "Our mission is to provide education and support for people in the stepfamily situation," explains group spokesperson Jill Austin.

Financial Resources: Financial Planning, Debt, Bankruptcy, And Taxes

National Resource Network
3631 Fairmount
Dallas, TX 75219
Beverely Redfearn, President
Phone: (214) 528-9080); Fax: (407) 835-8628
A for-profit network of banks and other institutions united to help individuals with basic financial planning, especially when there is a change in lifestyle, such as marriage, divorce, or retirement.

Older Women's League
666 11th Street, Suite 700
Washington, DC 20001
Deborah Briceland-Betts, Executive Director
Phone: (202) 783-6686
This groups provides support and information on issues important to midlife and older women, including the effects of divorce on older women.

Pension Rights Center
918 16th Street, NW, Suite 704
Washington, DC 20006
Karen W. Ferguson, Director
Phone: (202) 296-3776
Provides information concerning how divorce effects pensions. Has a lawyer referral service.

National Foundation for Consumer Credit
8611 2nd Avenue, Suite 100
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Durant Abernethy, President
Phone: (301) 589-5600; Fax: (301) 495-5623; Free: (800) 388-2227; Spanish assistance: (800) 682-9832
"A nonprofit membership organization whose purpose is to educate, counsel, and promote the wise use of credit. NFCC serves as an umbrella group for 200 member services with more than 1,100 counseling offices throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, and Canada." NFCC offers "free or low cost professional money management counseling and educational services to consumers nationwide."

Psychological Support: Emotional Help Groups for the Divorced

Divorce Support
5020 W. School Street
Chicago, IL 60641
Cynthia Dickstein-Kowaczek, Director
Phone: (312) 286-4541
A self-help membership support organization for people who are divorced, separated, or having problems in their marriage. Sponsors an information network.

New Beginnings
13129 Clifton Road
Silver Spring, MD 20904
Carol Randolph, Founder
Phone: (301) 384-0111
Membership support group for separated and divorced individuals. Discussion meetings, held several times a week, and workshops are open to non-members. Additional activities open to members. Call for details.

Ackerman Institute for Family Therapy
149 E. 78th St.
New York, NY 10021
Dr. Peter Steinglass, Director; Garda Spaulding, Director of Intake
Phone: (212) 879-4900; Fax: (212) 744-0206
Provides family and couples treatment. Helps divorcing partners resolve issues of child care: for instance, how to tell children about a divorce and how to keep the child from the center of conflict. "Divorce is never a positive experience," says Garda Spaulding, director of intake, "but we try to show parents how to keep it as benign as possible."

International Association for Marriage and Family Counselors
c/o American Counseling Association
5999 Stevenson Avenue
Alexandria, VA 22304
John L. Jaco, Executive Director
Phone: (703) 823-9800; Fax: (703) 823-0252; Free: (800) 545-AACD
Can provide referrals to members working in the areas of marriage counseling, marital therapy, divorce counseling, mediation, and family counseling and therapy.

American Self-Help Clearinghouse
St. Clares-Riverside Medical Center
Denville, NJ 07834
Edward J. Madara, Director
Phone: (201) 625-7101; Fax: (201) 625-8848
Serves as a resource center for self-help groups in the state of New Jersey. Also lists out-of-state help lines and toll-free numbers for related organizations all over the United States