Sen. Denton Darrington
Idaho lawmakers are considering a bill intended to help grandparents and other relatives get custody of children whose parents have been caught up with substance abuse or incarceration.
Declo Sen. Denton Darrington, chairman of the Senate Judiciary and Rules Committee, says the bill would give grandparents stronger rights in custody battles. It would allow courts to oversee and evaluate custody arrangements and determine when parents are ready to take their children back.
Idaho Voices for Children, a nonprofit advocacy organization for children, says the Gem State had almost 10,000 households with people raising their grandchildren in 2006, a 21 percent increase over 2000.(AP)
