Children’s perspectives on parenting coordination: Insights from the montreal parenting coordination pilot project

ABSTRACT

As part of a pilot project in the Montreal area, ten high-conflict families received free parenting coordination services. This explorative study aimed to document, through psychometric measures and semistructured interviews, how the parenting coordination process impacted children involved. Although not statistically significant, results suggest a diminution in the intensity of the conflict between parents over the course of parenting coordination, as perceived by the children. Qualitative data indicates variation in children’s opinions regarding their experience. Approximately half of the sample shared examples of improvements in their lives, mostly to do with diminution of parental conflict and better communication between parents. However, some shared frustrations with the intervention and their belief that parenting coordination was not helpful. Not feeling heard by the parenting coordinator (PC) as well as a perceived lack of neutrality were linked with negative discourse on parenting coordination.

KEYWORDS:

• Alternative dispute resolution
• child
• custody
• divorce
• high conflict

Acknowledgments

We thank the Child Custody Evaluation Service of the Centre Jeunesse de Montréal for their help in making this project possible, as well as the two PCs who worked with the families.

Disclosure of interest

Authors Catherine Quigley and Francine Cyr declare that they have no conflicts of interest to report.

Ethical standards and informed consent

All procedures followed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation (Centre Jeunesse de Montréal – Institut Universitaire, file number CER CJM-IU: 12-10/29).

Additional information

Funding

The Quebec Ministry of Justice funded this pilot project. Catherine Quigley has received a 3-year research grant from the Fonds de Recherche Société et Culture (grant number: 175157) and a research grant from the Centre jeunesse de Montréal and from the Association Recherche Université-Communauté (ARUC), volet séparation et recomposition familiale during her doctoral studies.

Notes on contributors

Catherine Quigley

Catherine Quigley is a Ph.D. candidate in clinical psychology in the final year of her doctoral studies. She currently works in a community service that supports children and adolescent victims of sexual abuse.

Francine Cyr

Francine Cyr, Ph.D., is a recently retired psychology professor at Université de Montréal an experienced clinical psychologist. She has devoted many years of her career to research and intervention with high-conflict divorced families.