OCHR.Org Introduction April-May

By Jake Hornstein, Co-Founder & COO
Published in the Clearwater Beach & Bellaire Neighborhood News - April – May Edition

When Greg Hill became a father, he knew he would always want to be available to his son. Since Greg was not married to his son's mother, under Florida law, Greg had no legal rights to his child. After a series of unsuccessful legal outcomes, while retaining reputable attorneys, Greg changed his approach. He represented himself in court and achieved a 50/50 custody and successful co-parenting strategy.

In January 2021, Greg and I established a web-based nonprofit named Our Children Have Rights .Org (OCHR.org}. It focuses on children by helping parents more seamlessly navigate their child custody and co•parenting journeys. Most often unexpectedly and unprepared. While we work directly with parents, the goal is to establish a successful co­parenting strategy and living environment that best positions the child(ren) to reach their full potential. Our direct services are NO COST to all parents regardless of demographics or parenting circumstances (single mothers/fathers, unwed parents, married couples seeking divorce).

Education is the core of our work, addressing a specific need that is too common across our community. THE NEED: Better prepared and equipped parents who, often unexpectedly, find themselves navigating these challenging and emotional circumstances. Our educational resources, when properly used, can minimize, or even eliminate the need for paid legal aid, saving parents valuable time and resources. Alternatively, when a parent seeks assistance identifying the right attorney for their circumstances, our legal aid navigation support guides them through the process as well.

Our Direct Services include NO COST consultations (Zoom, FaceTime, Phone) and NO COST documentation review (parenting plans). We're proud that the scope of our work covers a wide range of Human Services. It's a direct result of careful listening to parents who share with us the "ancillary challenges" they face while establishing custody through court. These "roadblocks" can include housing assistance, behavioral health, counseling, employment, and access to basic needs, among others. We address these challenges through a network of local program partners; Jake Hornstein and Pinellas County Government, 211 Greg Hill Tampa Bay, Bay Area Legal Services,

Feeding Tampa Bay, NAMI, Gulf Coast JFCS, and many others.

Since its inception, OCHR.Org has served over 20,000 parents, conducted NO COST consultations with 901 parents, and reviewed 383 parenting plans. We were recently recognized by AMPLIFY Clearwater, celebrating a nonprofit that's "Well on its way''. We even adopted Sand Key Park & Beach for volunteer opportunities in our community.

Support of our mission is vital, and we ask our community to consider a small financial contribution to our program.

Most importantly, if you, or someone you know, needs our assistance, we're here for you. We're on a mission... A mission to protect the rights of children to have access to both responsible and involved parents by providing education, resources, and support services for successful co-parenting. Why? Because Our Children Have Rights.

Contact Jake, JakeHornstein@OurChildrenHaveRights.com or visit www.ourchildrenhaverights.org.

To donate, visit www.ourchildrenhaverights.org/donate