What is Parent Coordination?

Parent Coordination is a form of dispute resolution beyond mediation, psychotherapy, and other forms of resolving conflicts between co-parents. It is a child-focused alternative conflict resolution process That centers around the formulation, implementation, and enforcement of a parenting plan. One of the distinguishing features of Parent Coordination is that the Parenting Coordinator (PC) is often given some decision-making power by the court. Parent Coordinators are asked, on occasion, to issue “PC Recommendations,” which the parents are to follow.

The overall objective of parent coordination is to help high-conflict parents implement their parenting plans, to resolve conflicts regarding their children and the parenting plan promptly, and to protect and sustain safe, healthy, and meaningful parent-child relationships.

Parent coordinators are either lawyers or mental health professionals trained in family mediation. They all have extensive experience and training in working with high-conflict relationships. In Oregon, all Parent Coordinators must be appointed by the judge; you need a judge’s permission.

Parent Coordinator’s Role

The concept dates back to the early 1990s. The Guidelines for Parenting Coordination developed by the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC) Task Force on Parenting Coordination describes parenting coordination as “a child-focused alternative dispute resolution process in which a mental health or legal professional with mediation training and experience assists high-conflict parents to implement their parenting plan by facilitating the resolution of their disputes promptly.”

The goal of the Parent Coordination process is to assist parents in following their parenting plan; resolving conflicts quickly and at a lower cost.

Parenting Coordinators address day-to-day parenting issues.

Parent Coordinators monitor parent communications and suggest productive forms of communication that limit conflict. Parent coordinators may assist with implementing minor changes or clarification of parenting time schedules or conditions. Parenting Coordinators are often asked to address child custody disputes related to holiday and special event scheduling, transportation disputes, disputes over the child’s activities, and the costs of extracurricular activities. Other common disputes brought to a Parenting Coordinator involve conflict at parenting time exchanges, school placement, homework problems, medical issues, teenager communication issues, discipline disputes, step-parent-child disputes, and religious observance and education disputes, as well as a broad range of other issues.

Parenting Coordinators can also help parents understand their children’s developmental needs and teach problem-solving strategies. The goal is to help parents learn to communicate more effectively and thus avoid conflicts that cause them to return to court.

Parenting Coordinators are often empowered to make decisions when the parents cannot resolve disputes independently, to the extent described in the court order, or make reports or recommendations to the court for further consideration.

A Parenting Coordinator may talk directly with each parent and their attorneys. Parent Coordinators typically have access to everybody involved with family members, such as school officials and teachers, physical and mental health care providers, the children, extended family members, stepparents (or the person acting in that role), and anyone else the Parenting Coordinator determines may have a significant role in resolving the conflict.

The PC is a Hybrid Role

• The PC role integrates:
• Assessment and review of disputes and data.
• Conflict and dispute management (discussion, mediation, consensus-building, negotiation).
• Decision making (arbitration).
• Parent education.
• Coordination and case management.
• Communication oversight and skills training.
• Coaching.

What are Larger Goals for Parenting Coordination?

• Reduce known risk factors that are associated with poor outcomes in children following separation and divorce.
• Promote known protective factors linked to more positive outcomes in children working with parents.
• Stem the drain on family resources (financial, psychological, parental) created by family disputes.
• Achieving clarity on all aspects of court orders.
• Advance calendaring and communication models to improve compliance.
• Developing achievable communication structures and rules intended to reduce conflict.
• Educate parents as to the nature of effective post-separation parental relationships.
• Educate parents regarding conflict patterns and how recognizing patterns can decrease conflict.
• Encouraging competent post-divorce parenting.

Parental Disputes Often Brought to Parenting Coordinators

• Parenting time schedules/access, holidays and vacations, temporary variations, transitions, travel and passport arrangements.
• Child’s recreational and enrichment activities.
• Education or daycare (tutoring, summer school, school choice, placement).
• Health care management (medical, dental, psychotherapy, vision).
• Religious observances and education.
• Child rearing issues, including alteration of children’s appearance (haircuts, piercing).
• Communication between parents.
• Negative parent behaviors.
• Substance abuse allegations, testing, counseling.
• Changes in parenting plan consistent with the child’s developmental changes.
• Role of significant others, extended family.

Parenting Coordination is NOT

• Therapy or counseling for any family member.
• Formal custody evaluation or assessment.
• Diagnosis of psychological conditions.
• Mediation (only).
• Legal representation.
• Health care – the PC role/functions do not fall under HIPAA.

PC’s Quasi-Judicial Immunity

According to the AFCC task force (2003) most states grant their coordinators quasi-judicial immunity. However, alleged improprieties or unethical conduct of the parenting coordinator may be brought to the attention of the court in a written document. Furthermore, immunity does not preclude a parent from filing a licensing board complaint against the PC. Most licensing boards are unfamiliar with the role of a parenting coordinator.

PC’s Necessary Knowledge Base

• Current research on separation/divorce/conflict and child adjustment, parent child relationships, effective parenting, custody and parenting plans.
• Child development research – normative behaviors.
• Personality disorders and mental illness.
• Family law re: custody and access, relevant statutes.
• Drafting decisions with precision.
• Skill in non-adversarial, non-polarizing language.

 
Parent Coordinator

A Parent Coordinator is charged to act in every aspect of the child’s life to assure the child’s best interests are always at the forefront of every parenting decision.