Parenting Coordination Services

Parenting Coordination Explained

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When children are exposed to conflict between their parents, they are at significant risk for developmental problems, social, academic, and mental health problems. Parenting coordination can support parents by reducing parents’ conflict and may shield children from exposure to their parents’ disagreements. The parenting coordinator can help parents resolve child-related issues in a timely manner without court involvement and can protect and sustain safe, healthy, and meaningful parent-child relationships. Most importantly, the parenting coordinator can help parents focus on the best interests of their children, rather than on their conflict and anger toward one another.

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What is Parenting Coordination?

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Parenting coordination is an alternative dispute resolution process combining assessment, education, case management, conflict resolution, and, sometimes, decision-making functions. A Parenting Coordinator (PC) helps parents implement, modify and comply with the parenting plan. Moreover, PC's help parents who are unable or unwilling to jointly make parenting decisions, communicate effectively, comply with parenting agreements and orders or shield their children from the impact of parental conflict. PCs assist parents by providing the following:

(1) education about co-parenting and parental communication

(2) the psychological and developmental needs of the children

(3) strategies to manage conflict and reduce the negative effects on children

(4) effective post-separation parenting.

 

To further assist parents and children, PCs facilitate referrals to community providers when necessary and collaborate with other professionals who may already be involved with the family. Any decisions made by the PC are subject to the review of the court, which is an important safeguard to the process. 

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Why use our services?

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We have been trained and can assist when the following concerns are present:

• there is a high rate of litigation, especially concerning the implementation of a custody order or parenting plan;

• mediation has not been successful or has been deemed inappropriate;

• parents need assistance developing, modifying, or implementing their parenting plan;

• parents have difficulty communicating information about their child’s welfare;

• parenting are unable to agree on substantive issues concerning their child;

• there are complex child-related or family issues that require intensive case managing; and

• parents can afford to pay for the parenting coordinator’s services vs having to "fight it out" in court

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**Parenting coordination is not for cases in which it has been determined that the process may compromise the safety of parents of the minor children.**

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Information was obtained from the AFCC website.

For more information, please visit The 

Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC) online at www.afccnet.org

Resources for Families

Spare The Child: Effects of Divorce and Learning to Co-Parent

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Click here to request a consultation and to learn more about this service. 

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