What is Parenting Coordination?
Parenting Coordination is a structured process to support families where, despite the existence of an existing parenting agreement or interim or final orders from the Family Court in relation to children, there is ongoing conflict. A Parenting Coordinator may be engaged directly by the parties or, in some jurisdictions, appointed by the Court to facilitate cooperation and fulfilment of the existing orders. The Parenting Coordinator supports families to implement the orders and provides education, conflict management and mediation to assist the parties in their communication and management of disagreements
The goal of Parenting Coordination is to assist parents to transition from being former partners in dispute to becoming effective co parents; and to focus on children’s needs
A Parenting Coordinator can be available at short notice to support parents manage unforeseen complications regarding ongoing care for the children. It may include monitoring email communication and coaching both parents in the use of less brash language. Often, it is the day-to-day disagreements about changeover times, school holiday dates (how to decide start/finish dates), sharing of children’s items between homes and decisions about extracurricular activities, organising swaps of weekends and accommodating visiting relatives that cause parents the most conflict after orders or parenting plans have been made.