Social science and parenting plans for young children: A consensus report.

Abstract

with the endorsement of the researchers and practitioners listed in the Appendix Two central issues addressed in this article are the extent to which young children's time should be spent predominantly in the care of the same parent or divided more evenly between both parents, and whether children under the age of 4 should sleep in the same home every night or spend overnights in both parents' homes. A broad consensus of accomplished researchers and practitioners agree that, in normal circumstances, the evidence supports shared residential arrangements for children under 4 years of age whose parents live apart from each other. Because of the well-documented vulnerability of father-child relationships among never-married and divorced parents, the studies that identify overnights as a protective factor associated with increased father commitment to child rearing and reduced incidence of father drop-out, and the absence of studies that demonstrate any net risk of overnights, policymakers and decision makers should recognize that depriving young children of overnights with their fathers could compromise the quality of developing father-child relationships. Sufficient evidence does not exist to support postponing the introduction of regular and frequent involvement, including overnights, of both parents with their babies and toddlers. The theoretical and practical considerations favoring overnights for most young children are more compelling than concerns that overnights might jeopardize children's development.

Preface to the Special Issue: Shared Physical Custody: Recent Research, Advances, and Applications

“…This body of scholars concludes that JPC is generally in the best interests of children, with some exceptions, including, but not limited to, children who need protection from a parent whose care is abusive, neglectful, or grossly inadequate. These conclusions are in accord with those reached by the 110 international experts who endorsed Warshak's (2014) consensus paper on shared parenting for children under the age of 4.…”

“…400)." In 2014 an international group of 110 social scientists and mental health practitioners agreed that JPC should be the norm for parenting plans for children of all ages, including very young children (Warshak, 2014). Shortly thereafter, a group of 32 social scientists, mental health practitioners.…”

The Impact of Parental Separation and Divorce on the Health Status of Children, and the Ways to Improve it

“…In a recently published large consensus report [93] of 110 researches and practitioners it was clearly stated that, in normal circumstances, the evidence supports shared residential arrangements for children under 4 years of age whose parents live apart from each other.…”

Parenting Plans for Infants, Toddlers, and Preschoolers: Research and Issues

“…Further, monotropy assumes that infants form a "primary" attachment to only one parent and that this is the relationship that has the most profound impact on the child's present and future abilities to form healthy attachments to other people. Recent empirical studies do not support this theory, as infants attach equally to both parents and one relationship is not more primary or more influential than the other (for reviews of this literature, see Ludolph & Dale, 2011;Warshak, 2014). Nevertheless, these researchers still hypothesized that overnighting or spending time in day care away from their mothers would be linked to more insecure attachments.…”

“…Since this study's release, many social scientists have noted its shortcomings and stated that it should not be used as a basis for making recommendations for parenting plans Lamb, 2012;Ludolph & Dale, 2012;Nielsen, 2013;Pruett et al, 2012;Warshak, 2012Warshak, , 2014.…”