Kids N'Dads Walk
May, 27 2005 - 7:00 PM
A FORMER TEACHER FROM LOYALIST COLLEGE IN BELLEVILLE IS ON A WALKING CRUSADE OF HIS OWN -- TAKING STEPS TO HELP PARENTS WHO DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THEIR CHILDREN.
    WAYNE COOK, IS WALKING TO OTTAWA TO LOBBY THE LAWMAKERS TO ALLOW MORE CHILD CUSTODY RIGHTS FOR "DADS" WHO SPLIT UP.
    NEWSWATCH'S LAURA MCGUGAN HAS MORE ON HIS JOURNEY.
    WITH EACH STEP-- 50 YEAR OLD WAYNE COOK HOPES TO RAISE AWARENESS FOR THOUSANDS OF SEPARATED AND DIVORCED FATHERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY WHO ARE UNABLE TO HAVE ACCESS TO THEIR CHILDREN.
    COOK IS WALKING 400 KILOMETRES FROM TORONTO TO OTTAWA TO SHARE HIS OWN STRUGGLE AND THE STRUGGLES OF OTHER FATHERS WHO TRY TO REMAIN A PART OF THEIR CHILDREN'S LIVES.
    WAYNE COOK:

"FOR NINE YEARS I HAD NO IDEA WHERE MY CHILDREN WERE AND IT JUST SEEMS THAT THERE ARE SO MANY PARENTS OUT THERE WHO ARE IN THE SAME SITUATION SO THAT'S MY MOTIVATION FOR KEEPING GOING--MY THREE DAUGHTERS."
    COOK, WHO IS MAKING THE JOURNEY ON HIS OWN BELONGS TO A GROUP CALLED KIDS 'N' DADS.
    LAURA MCGUGAN:
    "THE GROUP IS TRYING TO GET THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO LOOK AT A REPORT THAT DEALS WITH THE NEEDS OF CHILDREN IN THESE TYPE OF SITUATIONS INSTEAD OF THE PARENTS BUT HAS BEEN SITTING ON THE SHELVES FOR THE PAST 7 YEARS."
      WAYNE COOK:

"WE WOULD LIKE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO BRING THE FOR SAKE FOR THE CHILDREN REPORT BACK INTO THE HOUSE OR INTO THE HOUSE FOR THE FIRST TIME AND VOTE ON IT. 70 PERCENT OF CANADIANS ARE SAYING IT'S IMPORTANT ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. IT'S FAMILY ISSUE THAT IS NOT BEING DEALT WITH."
    COOK HOPES THAT WILL CHANGE WHEN HE STEPS INTO OTTAWA TO TALK WITH MP'S NEXT FRIDAY--WHICH IS ALSO NATIONAL KIDS DAY.
    LAURA MCGUGAN, CKWS NEWSWATCH, BELLEVILLE.
       COOK WILL MEET WITH SUPPORTERS IN FRONT OF KINGSTON CITY HALL TOMORROW MORNING AT 10 O'CLOCK.

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