By Leah Caldwell | Family & Children | November 2024

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What are typical child contact arrangements?

If you are a parent and are considering a separation or divorce, or are currently going through this but are unsure what arrangements to make for your children, Mediation First can help. Forming a parenting plan which is right for your family is the first thing to do. N.B. When making any plans regarding children, the welfare, and safety of children are of paramount importance; for this blog, it is assumed that these factors have been considered and there are no concerns in this respect.

A good plan should ideally:

• Allow children to safely spend quality time with both parents
• Accommodate the child’s schooling and extracurricular activities
• Work with each parent’s capabilities, employment, and other responsibilities
• Form a reliable structure for day-to-day life
• Address ongoing co-parenting and communication

However, there is no single-child contact arrangement for all families, as everyone has different circumstances. In this blog, we introduce you to some child contact arrangements which can be tried by families. We will also discuss how to agree on a parenting plan, and what to do if you are struggling to agree.

What are child contact arrangements?

Child contact arrangements are plans that determine how separated parents will care for and manage the upbringing of their children. These arrangements cover where the children will live, how much time they will spend with each parent and the nature of contact they will have with both parents. Many separated or divorced parents will put aside their differences and will agree on an arrangement between themselves without needing to go to court.

Examples of child contact arrangements

Shared parenting arrangements

A shared parenting arrangement is when a child has a home in both parent’s houses, with the time being equally split. If you and your former partner are living locally, you may want your child to spend alternate weeks or fortnights at each parent’s accommodation.

Other options include plans that incorporate a 2-2-5-5 schedule, where a child spends 2 days with each parent, followed by 5 days with each parent. This can create a consistent bi-weekly schedule with predictable ‘switch’ days but also allows parents to spend alternate weekend days with their children.

For shared parenting to work, you need good quality communication and organisation between both households.

Other split parenting arrangements

If you and your former partner would prefer not to equally split the arrangement but are still living locally, you may decide that your child/children should have a main home with one parent. This is where they will spend more of their time and there are set days/ times when they are cared for by the other parent - e.g. set days/ nights during the weekend and/or at weekends.

With all split parenting arrangements, you may need to compromise on approaches to your parenting, as well as communicate anything which has occurred during your child’s time with you, which may have affected them or changed their normal routine.

Holiday arrangements

When planning your child's contact arrangement with your former partner, remember to consider holiday arrangements. This can include any religious holidays, school holidays, bank holidays, and trips away. It’s helpful to make a list of all the holiday dates and how much childcare is needed so that your former partner and family can understand the situation, and everybody can ensure they are free for their child contact time.

If a parent only sees their children a few days at a time, the school holidays may be a time when they wish to change the arrangement and see them more often. If they wish to take their child away on holiday, they may need permission from the resident parent, therefore, we would recommend discussing plans early, so everyone can agree to avoid any issues later on.

Long distance arrangements

Children switching households regularly isn’t always an option if one parent lives further away. Depending on the distance, in-person contact may be more restricted t. Whilst younger children’s schedules may be more flexible, plans for older children may need more careful consideration as school attendance will be a factor. To ensure consistent contact with a non-resident parent, indirect contact (for example, video calls and telephone calls) can be a way of maintaining relationships between a child and both of their parents.

Supervised contact arrangements

There are some cases where it is appropriate for contact between a child and parent to be supervised. Examples of this may be where a child has not seen one parent for an extended period and both the child and parent will need support in re-establishing their relationship. It could also be the case where there are concerns regarding a parent’s ability to provide appropriate care for their child and support/reassurance is required.

Grandparent or other family member arrangements

The contact a child has with grandparents or other family members can also be discussed when a parenting plan is made. You might want to include the involvement of them when deciding where your child will spend their time. Do you need them to pick your child up from nursery or school or look after them on certain days? Extended family members can enrich a child’s life as well as help you or your former partner out.

It could potentially become complicated if you or your former partner don’t wish the child to have contact with extended family members. Even though extended families do not have the automatic right to apply for a Child Arrangements Order, they can still apply to the courts for permission to apply for a Court Order. The court can decide whether the child would benefit from contact with that person and what kind of contact would be in their best interest. This could be in-person meetings, or indirect contact, like phone calls or letters.

Making changes to a child contact arrangement

You can make changes to your parenting plan if your routine changes, so don’t be afraid to bring up making some amendments with your former partner if you feel it is no longer working right for you. If you need to make larger changes if something significant in your life or your former partner’s life has changed, for example, job or location, and you feel like the existing parenting plan or Child Arrangement Order is no longer viable, you can attend mediation to discuss plans or make an application to Court to vary any existing order.

Contact our family mediation team

Our parent and child mediation is designed to give all parties a voice. Each parent’s goals and aspirations for their children are considered , as well as the child’s perspective. This child-focused approach to mediation helps parents reach a mutually agreed arrangement that puts the child’s needs first.

For tailored guidance and to explore mediation options, contact us today.

Tel: 0330 320 7600
Email: office@mediationfirst.co.uk.