Molly Olson

Molly K. Olson is an American children's rights advocate. She is the founder and executive director of the Center for Parental Responsibility in St. Paul/Minneapolis, Minnesota. She is also a co-founder and former president of Leading Women for Shared Parenting.
Early life, education and business career
Olson grew up in Willmar, Minnesota. She is the granddaughter of Earl B. Olson, who founded the Jennie-O Turkey Company in Willmar. After graduating from Willmar High School, Olson obtained a bachelors of arts degree in communications and religion from Concordia College in 1992 and a masters degree in business communication from University of St.Thomas in 1995, all in Minnesota. After 16 years in the corporate world, she became an independent business consultant in 1998, providing consulting and training for inside sales, leadership communication, mediation and dispute resolution.
Center for Parental Responsibility
In 1999 Olson founded the Center for Parental Responsibility, a 501(c)3 non-profit in Minnesota, working to promote equal time shared parenting for children after divorce or separation. She serves as the executive director and on behalf of the organization she has provided testimony on child custody and shared parenting to the Minnesota Legislature. Olson spearheaded the 2012 effort to pass HF322 to establish a rebuttable presumption of shared parenting in Minnesota. The bill passed the Minnesota House of Representatives 86-42 and the Minnesota Senate 46-10, but was vetoed by governor Mark Dayton after lobbying by the Minnesota State Bar Association. After the veto, she served on the Minnesota Joint Physical Child Custody Presumption Study Group.
Leading Women for Shared Parenting
Olson is a co-founder and former president of Leading Women for Shared Parenting, and international organization that aims at dispelling the myth that it is only fathers that promotes the idea of shared parenting for children after divorce or separation.
White House Council on Boys and Men
After president Barack Obama formed the White House Council on Women and Girls in 2009, Olson joined a coalition of both conservative and liberal men and women petitioning the president to also form a White House Council on Boys and Men. She was interviewed on the matter by The Dr. Vibe Show. After some initial interest from the White House, the efforts ultimately failed.
Selected media interviews and coverage
* Toni Coleman, Child support formula may change: Model considering both parents' incomes is gaining ground, Saint Paul Pioneer Press, April 4, 2005.
* Mark Yost, Nothing succeeds like enforcement, Saint Paul Pioneer Press, July 19, 2005.
* Erin Carlyle, New law could make fathers' rights come smoother, City Pages, February 4, 2009.
* Gail Rosenblum, , Star Tribune, July 18, 2009.
* Gail Rosenblum, Shared parenting is one gift that's long overdue, Star Tribune, June 19, 2010.
* Patrick Thornton, , Minnesota Lawyer, January 20, 2012.
* Anne Polta, Advocates push for change in Minnesota's child custody law, West Central Tribune, March 7, 2012.
* Jeremy Olson, , Star Tribune, March 29, 2012.
* Sasha Aslanian, Dayton vetoes bill that would have given divorced parents more presumed custody, Minnesota Public Radio, May 24, 2012.
* Gail Rosenblum, Divorced dads get a big gift from a group of fired-up moms, Star Tribune, June 10, 2013.
* Gail Rosenblum, 'Divorce Corp.' stark reminder of high costs of U.S. breakups, Star Tribune, January 14, 2014.
* Dr. Vibe, , The Dr. Vibe Show, March 2, 2015.
* Lauren Steele, , Fatherly, October 1, 2018.
* Lauren Steele, , Fatherly, October 2, 2018.
Selected publications
* Molly Olson, , Twin Cities Pioneer Press, February 7, 2011.
* Molly Olson, Put a presumption of equal parenting into Minnesota law, St. Paul Pioneer Press, March 19, 2012.
* Molly Olson, Terry Brennan, Shared parenting popular, but still faces roadblocks, South Florida Sun Sentinel, March 22, 2016.
* Molly Olson, , Grand Forks Herald, April 15, 2017.
* Molly K. Olson, , Twin Cities Pioneer Press, July 19, 2018.
* Molly Olson, Journey to Equal Shared Parenting for Kids of Divorced and Separated Parents, Mankato Times, January 7, 2019.
* Molly Olson, , Mankato Times, January 23, 2019.

Main Menu

See Also

Main Menu