The answer to this is never simple. There are numerous reason that joint custody is a better solution. Children raised in joint custody situations stand a better chance of escaping with minimal emotional problems and have a better chance at becoming well adjusted adults. To see the importance of shared parenting, consider how you, as an adult, would feel if you could see your children only four days a month. Like most parents, you would miss them terribly, even with your adult level of emotional maturity. Children, with their fragile, still-developing emotions, often suffer much more. Children naturally love and need both parents. Sadly, most children of divorce see their non-custodial parent only four days a month, which is not enough whether that parent is a mother or father.
Listed are some general stats.
More than a quarter of American children—nearly 17 million—do not live with their father. Girls without a father in their life are two and a half times as likely to get pregnant and 53 percent more likely to commit suicide. Boys without a father in their life are 63 percent more likely to run away and 37 percent more likely to abuse drugs. Both girls and boys are twice as likely to drop out of high school, twice as likely to end up in jail and nearly four times as likely to need help for emotional or behavioral problems." -- HHS Press Release, Friday, March 26, 1999.

Simply put yes there are many resources out ther for parents in you situation. The Family Rights Coalition being only a small part of the larger whole in this area. If you check our links area under shared parenting you will find many useful links.

Well the AMA (American Medical Association) does for starters. Heres a quick Quote for you.

Best Interest of the Child Standard
The research that included child adjustment criteria concerning the study of joint custody will be used relevant to this issue. The two studies with the best methodology (Buchanan, Maccoby, & Dombush, 199 1; Burnett, 199 1) indicated that joint custody versus sole maternal custody was associated with adolescents’ positive adjustment. This finding was replicated for children by Abarbanel(l979). Greif (1979), and Luepnitz (1986) but not Johnston, Kline & Tschann (1989) and Kline, Tschann, Johnston & Wallerstein (1989). It is concluded that the present research supports joint custody for facilitating children’s adjustment.