Co-parenting programme launched for divorced parents

The Community Development Ministry’s Community Mediation Services Division (CMSD) launched its pilot co-parenting training programme at the Upper El Dorado Community Centre Auditorium today.

Susan Shurland, deputy permanent secretary in the ministry, revealed startling statistics from the court system that showed increasing numbers of relationships are being dissolved, resulting in the need for co-parenting support.

She defined co-parenting as a parenting relationship in which the two parents of a child are no longer romantically involved, but still assume joint responsibility for the upbringing of their child.

Shurland said: “A total of 14,543 family-type cases were filed between the periods 2017-2018, at various magistrates' courts across TT. The family court has reported for the period 2017-2018 law term that 2,623 matters were filed for divorce, 1,342 for maintenance and 565 issues of custody.

"These statistics reveal the need for support to parents as they navigate new waters of raising a child or children with two separate households, while at the same time ensuring that the children are taken care of and are emotionally equipped to handle changes to family structure.”

She added that it was about parents collaborating and working with one goal in mind: what is best for their child or children.

Tishuan Matthews of the CMSD, in her presentation, highlighted the problems of children of divorce. Some of the major concerns are that parents, caught up in their own emotions and actions, don’t talk to their children, leaving them to find solace in reading books, listening to music, praying, crying, and worse yet, thinking it’s their fault. She said basically the children are voiceless.

Vanessa Gibbs then outlined the nine session topics of the programme.

Among them, in module one, trained facilitators will educate parents on what is co-parenting, how to separate their own emotions when dealing with their children, and the impact of communication styles of the co-parent relationship. Module two will deal with the effects of conflict on the children, issues surrounding visitation, and consistency and maintenance, while module three will address the drafting of a co-parent agreement, evaluation of what was learnt and the graduation exercise.

The pilot programme will see 24 parents trained by three facilitators and 12 co-facilitators, who will guide them for the nine-session programme, at the north and central main meditation centres.

Shurland said in future cycles, the programme will be open to all parents or guardians facing co-parentinh challenges.

Gibbs assured confidentiality throughout the programme and beyond.