Hostname: page-component-68945f75b7-72kh6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-08-05T22:09:41.206Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Shared parenting and parental involvement in children's schooling following separation and divorce

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 February 2016

Thea Brown ,
Alison Lundgren ,
Lisa-Maree Stevens  and
Jennifer Boadle
Thea Brown
Affiliation:
Department of Social Work, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Email: Thea.Brown@med.monash.edu.au
Alison Lundgren
Affiliation:
Department of Social Work, Monash University
Lisa-Maree Stevens
Affiliation:
Family Relationship Services Directorate, Mallee Family Care, Mildura, Victoria
Jennifer Boadle
Affiliation:
BSW Honours student, Department of Social Work, Monash University
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Although the new family law legislation, the Family Law (Shared Parental Responsibility) Amendment Act of 2006, seeks to implement the notion of ongoing and collaborative parenting of children following parental partnership breakdown, separation and divorce, institutional obstacles still prevent the realisation of this policy. The question then arises: can such a model of separation and divorce be achieved? This question is examined through a discussion of a series of studies undertaken by a Monash University research team investigating parents' involvement in their children's schooling following parental separation and divorce. The research, building on a number of small studies carried out in Western Australia, looked at parents' and teachers' views of schools' ability to relate to separated and divorced parents and the wider difficulty of schools managing this family form.

Type
Research Article
Information
Children Australia , Volume 35 , Issue 1 , 2010 , pp. 7 - 13
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2010

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

ACT Department of Education and Training (2010) Family law policy, viewed 24/2/2010, <www.det.act.gov.au/publications_and_policies/policy_A-Z>..>Google Scholar
Baker, R. (1996) Non-custodial fathers' involvement in their children's schooling, unpublished Master's Thesis, Curtin University, Perth, WA.Google Scholar
Baker, R. & Bishop, B. (2003) ‘The non-residential parents: The forgotten partners in children's education’, Nuance, Vol. 14, No. 4, pp. 36–47.Google Scholar
Baker, R. & Bishop, B. (2005) ‘Non-residential mothers: Schools and the reform process’, Journal of Family Studies, Vol. 11, No. 2, October, pp.205–215.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bernstein, J. (2007) ‘Is education the cure for poverty?’, The Amercian Prospect, <www.prospect.org/cs/articles?article=is_education_the_cure_for_poverty_>.Google Scholar
Boadle, J. (2010) Family dispute practitioners and parental involvement in children's schooling following separation and divorce, presentation to a Departmental Research Seminar, Department of Social Work, Monash University, 13th October.Google Scholar
Brown, T. (2008) ‘An evaluation of a new post separation and divorce parenting program’. Family Matters, No. 78, April, Melbourne.Google Scholar
Brown, T. (2010) What about the children: Parenting after separation and divorce, Department of Social Work, Family Life, FaHCSIA, ACT.Google Scholar
Brown, T. & Alexander, R. (2007) Child abuse and family law, Allen and Unwin, Sydney.Google Scholar
Child Support Agency (2008) The New Child Support Scheme and the changes to Family Assistance, Commonwealth of Australia, see also Child Support Formula, viewed 12/2/2010, <www.csa.gov.au>..>Google Scholar
Chisholm, R. (2009) Family Courts violence review, a report by Professor Richard Chisholm, Commonwealth Attorney General's Department, viewed 12/2/2010, <www.ag.gov.au>.Google Scholar
Epstein, J. (1995) School, family, community partnerships: Caring for the children we share. Phi Delta Kappan, May, pp.701–712.Google Scholar
Epstein, J. & Dauber, S. (1991) ‘School programs and teacher practices of parent involvement in inner city Elementary and Middle Schools’, The Elementary School Journal, Vol. 86, pp.289–305.Google Scholar
Evans, M., Kelly, J. & Wanner, R. (2001) ‘Educational attainment of the children of divorce: Australia, 1940-1990’, Journal of Sociology, Vol. 37, No. 3, pp.275–297.Google Scholar
Family Law Council (2009) Improving responses to family violence in the family law system: An advice on the intersection of family violence and family law issues, Commonwealth Attorney General's Department, viewed 12/2/2010, <www.ag.gov.au>..>Google Scholar
Faulks, J. (2008) In the best interests of the children: A perspective of the 2006 amendments to the Family Law Act, paper presented at the Shared parental responsibility in family law and the impact on children seminar, April, University of South Australia, Adelaide SA.Google Scholar
Garrison, M. (2007) ‘Promoting cooperative parenting: Programs and prospects’, Journal of Law and Family Studies, Brooklyn Law School, Legal Studies Paper No 99.Google Scholar
Griffith, J. (1998) ‘The relation of school structure and school environment to parental involvement in Elementary Schools’, Elementary School Journal, Vol. 99, pp.53–80.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hannan, J. & Bracebridge, L. (2008) Transformative dispute resolution in the Anglicare WA Family Relationship Centres in WA, paper presented at the Family Relationship Services Australia Inaugural Conference, ‘Collective wisdom: Together we are better’, Cairns, 5-7 November.Google Scholar
Kaspiew, R., Gray, M., Weston, R., Moloney, L., Hand, K. & Qu, L. (2009) Evaluation of the 2006 family law reforms: Summary report, Australian Institute of Family Studies, Melbourne Google Scholar
Kids Matter Primary (2009) Kids Matter Primary: Australian Primary Schools Mental Health Initiative, viewed 12/2/2010 <www.kidsmatter.edu.au/primary/>..>Google Scholar
Lundgren, A. (2007) Non-residential parents and school involvement: Issues facing parents and schools, Honours thesis, Department of Social Work, Monash University, Victoria.Google Scholar
McCoy, A. (2005) Family Relationship Centres: Issues surrounding family violence, Honours thesis, Department of Social Work, Monash University Google Scholar
NSW Department of Education and Training (2007) Dealing with family law related issues in schools and TAFE NSW, viewed 24/2/2010, <www.schools.nsw.edu.au/gotoschool/familylaw/index.php>..>Google Scholar
Redman, J. (2008) Practising the law on shared parenting responsibility, paper presented at the Shared parental responsibility in ‘Australian family law and the impact on children’ seminar, April, University of South Australia, Adelaide SA.Google Scholar
Rubin, A. & Babbie, E. (1997) Research methods for social work, 3, Brooks/Cole Publishing Company, ITP.Google Scholar
Slattery, C. (2006) Letter to Hon. Philip Ruddock, Attorney-General (personal communication), 16th August 2006.Google Scholar
Stevens, L-M. (2006) Schools' experiences of family law issues, special research study presented as part of the MSW (Coursework) degree, Monash University, Victoria.Google Scholar
Stevens, L-M. (2008) The next questions: Non-residential parents and their children's schooling, paper presented to a Post Graduate Research Seminar, Department of Social Work, Monash University, Victoria.Google Scholar