Co-Parenting After Separation

Course overview

Over the past fifty years, social scientists have explored a wide range of issues related to parental divorce and parenting after separation. This interest was sparked, at least in part, by the growth in the number of families with children whose parents are living apart from each other. With increases in divorce rates and social acceptance of diverse family structures, the interest in how children are affected, post-divorce parenting and legal issues, and the types of interventions that can help families navigate the divorce transition have all become important areas of research. This basic-level course offers an updated evidence base related to key factors in parental separation and divorce that are associated with positive outcomes for children and families. With an emphasis on the child's best interest, the course walks practitioners through parenting children during and after parents separate based on the child's biopsychosocial and developmental needs. The course focuses on the importance of non-adversarial conflict resolution and continued involvement of both parents in children's lives within a cooperative co-parenting relationship. Case examples illustrate the key learning points throughout the course.