Changes in patterns of post-separation parenting over time (II): Recent Australian data

Bruce M Smyth
Associate Professor, Australian Demographic and Social Research Institute, Australian National University, Canberra ACT

Ruth Weston
Australian Institute of Family Studies, Melbourne VIC

Lawrie Moloney
Senior Research Fellow, Australian Institute of Family Studies, Melbourne; Adjunct Professor, School of Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne VIC

Nick Richardson
Australian Institute of Family Studies, Melbourne VIC

Jeromey Temple
Australian Demographic and Social Research Institute, Australian National University, Canberra ACT

PP: 23

Abstract

This article examines continuity and change in post-separation patterns of parenting across a three-year time span.

We analyse longitudinal data from two recent Australian studies: the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey; and the Caring for Children after Parental Separation (CFC) Project. Mother–residence was found to be the most common and the most stable pattern. Though far less common, father–residence also appeared to be reasonably stable. By contrast, shared care was found to be the most fluid of these three parenting configurations.

Keywords

divorce, parental separation, children, children’s living arrangements, joint custody

Article Text

Significant changes to the family law system were introduced in Australia on 1 July 2006, as embodied by changes to relationship support services, the law, legal process, and child support. In essence, the reform package encourages a default starting position of cooperative shared parenting and shared parental responsibility after separation – though strictly from the perspective of time, the sharing of care has been an arrangement entered into by only a small minority of separated parents in Australia. There is emerging evidence, however, that shared care is on the rise (see Smyth & Moloney 2008) along with interest in the boundary conditions for which families can make it work, and how and when it can work well – or might work badly for children (see McIntosh & Chisholm 2008). In this context, it is important to note that little is known in Australia about the long-term outcomes for children with respect to shared arrangements or indeed other patterns of post-separation parenting (such as traditional weekly or fortnightly arrangements, daytime-only care, holiday-only care, or little or no parent–child contact).

Moreover, little is known about the stability of different arrangements. Are some patterns of care more fluid than others? Are some patterns (such as daytime-only contact) stepping-stones to or from other patterns? Prior studies of stability and change in parenting arrangements are illuminating, as the companion article by Smyth and Moloney (2008) in this issue has described. However, there is a need for contemporary Australian data; this article presents these data. While far from definitive, these data certainly point to the need to go beyond static frames when thinking about different patterns of care after separation.

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