Divorced Parents’ Perceptions of Child Custody and Contacts During the Pandemic

Abstract

The pandemic has impacted the ways in which people interact. Which impacts the pandemic might have brought about in regards to child custody and contacts arrangements? Through a thematic analysis, this qualitative and exploratory study investigated how 119 separated parents perceived this impact. Results address the impacts of the pandemic on child custody and contacts arrangements, especially regarding coparental communication. They also outline that the separated parents’ ability to adapt themselves to the pandemic restrictions, and their consequences. This ability was very linked to pre-existing coparental dynamics. Also, this paper discusses how the main impacts (i.e., maintaining contacts and caring for children) seemed to impact mothers more than fathers.

Keywords:
COVID-19; Pandemic; Child Custody; Divorced parents; Thematic analysis