A Movement for Fathers & the Children Who Need Them

I
Want
Dad

Millions of children are saying it.
It's time the system listened.

#IWantDad  ·  #BelieveDad  ·  TheDistanceForMe.com

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1.8M
Fathers Alienated from Their Children
24M
Children Living Without Their Father
60%
Alienated Dads Speak to Kids Less Than 4x/Month
25%
Of Divorce Cases Involve Parental Alienation
DAD
MATTERS

"He showed up every time.
The system acted like he never existed."

The System
Was Supposed
To Protect Kids

Every day, loving fathers walk into courtrooms and walk out erased. Not because they failed their children — but because a broken system presumed they would. Because one voice was believed without question. Because the machinery of delay doesn't feel the weight of the years it steals.

  • Courts that presume guilt before a father speaks a single word
  • Children coached to stay silent or say the wrong thing
  • CPS that looks away when it matters most
  • A system built on procedure while children pay in time
  • Millions of stories no one has ever asked to hear — until now

The Distance, LLC Playbook Collection

BELIEVE
DAD

How Family Court & CPS Fail Fathers and the Children Who Need Them

By Shawn Marie

"They decided before you said a word."

Believe Dad is not a legal manual. It's a field guide for every father who walked into family court prepared and walked out blindsided. For every child who was asked what they wanted — and couldn't tell the truth. For every person watching from the outside wondering how a system built to protect children keeps failing them so completely.

Drawing from clinical experience, real cases, and the brutal mechanics of how family court actually works, this book names the patterns, exposes the bias, and gives you the playbook for fighting back.

  • 01How Family Court Actually Works vs. How You Think It Works
  • 02CPS — Protector or Bystander?
  • 03The Narc Parent as a Legal Weapon
  • 04Why Fathers Start at a Deficit
  • 05Documentation — Your Most Powerful Weapon
  • 06When the System Looks Away
  • 07Still Standing — Fighting Back & Finding Your People

Built for the Fight

Every tool, resource, and community you need — in one place. Because no one should have to go through this alone.

📖

Tell Your Story

Your story deserves to be heard. Submit anonymously or with your name. Every story adds to the evidence that this is systemic — not isolated.

Share Your Story
🧱

The Wall

Thousands of stories from fathers and children across every state. Searchable. Shareable. Proof that you are not alone and this is not rare.

Read Their Stories
⚖️

Legislative Tracker

Family court reform bills by state — updated regularly. Know what's moving, who to contact, and how to make your voice count before the next session.

Track Legislation
📋

Free Resources

Documentation templates, motion language that works, CPS response guides, and state-by-state resources — all free, all built from real experience in the arena.

Download Now

Their Stories

See All Stories

North Dakota

"I showed up to every hearing, every meeting, every school event. The court gave me every other weekend and acted like I should be grateful."

— Anonymous Father

Texas

"My kids told me later they were told what to say. They were scared. They wanted to come home to me but couldn't say it out loud."

— Marcus, Father of 3

Ohio

"CPS came, looked around for twenty minutes, and closed the case. Six months later I find out what was happening in that house. Six months."

— Anonymous Father

Florida

"I was a 'flight risk' because I once mentioned moving closer to family. She moved the kids three states away with the court's blessing six months later."

— Derek, Father of 2

Minnesota

"My daughter is 24 now. She found me. She said she spent her whole childhood wanting to call me and being told I didn't care. I called every single week."

— James, Father

California

"The mediator asked my son what he wanted. He said 'I want dad.' The judge gave primary custody to his mother anyway. That was four years ago."

— Anonymous Father

Your Voice
Matters Here

Every story submitted to The Wall is another data point that this isn't an isolated case — it's a pattern. Anonymous or named. Father or child. Grandparent or second spouse. If the system failed your family, this is your place to say so.

Why Your Story Matters

  • Builds the public record that lawmakers and media can't ignore
  • Tells every father fighting right now that he is not alone
  • Tells every child who wanted to say it but couldn't — someone finally heard
  • Fuels the legislative pressure for real change in 2027 and beyond

All submissions are reviewed before posting. Your privacy is protected. You may be contacted by our team only if you opt in above.

#IWantDad

Post it. Tag it. Say it out loud. Every share is a child's voice the system tried to silence.

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