Children seeing more of their fathers after divorce

The Sydney Morning Herald, By Lauren Martin, February 3, 2005

Divorced fathers are more involved in their children's lives than conventional wisdom would have it, a new study shows.

It shows surprisingly varied and flexible care patterns among separated families, with "every other Saturday" contact giving way to more child-focused arrangements.

Australian Institute of Family Studies research fellow Bruce Smyth has produced the first detailed snapshot of parent-child contact after divorce anywhere in the world. Published today in the institute's journal Family Matters, the analysis has implications for children's emotional and financial wellbeing.

Other research indicates children of separated families do best when they have multifaceted relationships, including sleepovers, sharing meals and doing schoolwork, with both parents.

Mr Smyth's research comes as the Federal Government is drafting an overhaul of family law which is expected to mandate a mediator for parental disputes over access.

Half of the 1.1 million children with separated parents see their non-resident parent - usually the father - "frequently". But the paper shows the actual patterns are more creative than a "standard" every other weekend.

Mr Smyth is hopeful that the breadth of novel arrangements described in the paper can be turned into practical advice, such as brochures for parents and lawyers who otherwise may turn to formulaic precedents in the crisis of relationship breakdowns.

"This information may help parents to get unstuck," Mr Smyth said. "It can encourage parents and professionals to think about different ways of arranging care - there are ways other than every second weekend," which leaves a potentially disorienting block of time between contact.

After surveying almost 1000 separated parents, 56 per cent mothers and 44 per cent fathers, the institute found more than a quarter of children involved had little or no contact with their non-resident parent.

Among the 34 per cent who reported "standard contact" the patterns were surprisingly varied, Mr Smyth said.

About one in 10 children in these arrangements saw their non-resident parent one night a fortnight, which meant a 12-day wait for each visit.

More than a third spent two nights a fortnight with their non-resident parent, but in 2 per cent of cases, midweek contact broke up the wait. Three per cent of all the parents surveyed reported extended blocks of contact with the non-resident parent - three or four nights a fortnight, often Friday after school to Monday morning back to school.

This minimises the opportunity for parental conflict, while giving the child more ordinary time with the non-resident parent.

Mr Smyth's paper notes that in almost half of the schedules examined, the every weekend (or every other weekend) routines had over time been augmented or replaced by Read More ..mplex arrangements.

His paper highlights such arrangements - including extended weekend contact, near equal care, every other weekend but with midweek contact, and week-about care - to show parents they can devise plans to suit their children's and their own needs.