Parenting coordination – outcome measurement and prediction: Implications for research and practice

• Published date: 01 January 2023
• Author: Zohar Or Sharvit,Yoa Sorek,Idit Honigman
• Date: 01 January 2023
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/fcre.12688

ARTICLE

Parenting coordination –outcome measurement

and prediction: Implications for research

and practice

Zohar Or Sharvit | Yoa Sorek | Idit Honigman

Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute, Jerusalem,

Israel

Correspondence

Zohar Or Sharvit, Myers-JDC-Brookdale

Institute, P.O.B. 3886 Jerusalem 9103702,

Israel.

Email: zoharsh@jdc.org

Abstract

This paper presents a formative evaluation study of the par-

enting coordination pilot program launched in Israel in

2016 at the initiative of the Ministry of Welfare and Social

Affairs (At the time the program was launched, the Ministry

of Labor, Social Affairsand Social Services) and JDC-Ashalim.

Data was collectedon 131 participating families(262 parents)

through self-administered questionnaires filled out by the

parents prior to the parenting coordination process

(N=204), telephone interviews with the parents following

the process (N=142), and reports by the parenting coordi-

nators (PCs), submitted online at the conclusion of the pro-

cess with each participating family (N=131). Based on the

logic model developed as a blueprint for the pilot program,

the characteristics and needs of parents in high conflict were

identified and desired outcome indicators were accordingly

specified; quantitative and qualitative research tools were

developed for the study, and the efficacy and outcomes of

the parenting coordination pilot program were evaluated.

Overall, the findings indicate a significant improvement in the

desired outcome indicators. The implications of the findings

for research andpractice are discussed in the conclusion.

KEYWORDS

co-parenting, efficacy, high-conflict divorce, logic model,

outcome indicators, outcome predictors, parenting coordination,

parenting coordination success indicator, successful outcome

predictors

DOI: 10.1111/fcre.12688

© 2022 Association of Family and Conciliation Courts.

Family Court Rev. 2023;61:135–156. wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/fcre 135

Key points for the family court community

•Based on a large sample of families in high conflict who partic-

ipated in the parenting coordination pilot program and mat-

ched PCs, this pioneering study offers fresh insights on the

efficacy and outcomes of parenting coordination—so far

addressed by rather limited research.

•Overall, parents in high conflict experienced a significant

improvement in the desired outcome indicators following

participation in the parenting coordination pilot program

although most of them withdrew from the program

ahead of schedule.

•Higher success rates were found among parents who

refrained from reverting to litigation over their children

in the course of the parenting coordination process.

•Lower intensity levels of the parental conflict prior to

parenting coordination (along a continuum of high-

intensity parental conflict: from moderate/high through

intense to extreme), longer parenting coordination time

ranges, including more sessions, up to the specified limit,

and completion of the process as scheduled, without sus-

pension due to reapplication to the court, were found to

be successful outcome predictors.

•A significant reduction in both inter-parental and child-

directed violence was found in this study, indicating the

efficacy of the approach adopted and the intervention

tools used in the pilot program in maintaining and

safeguarding the well-being of the children entangled in

the parental conflict.

•An improvement was also found in the various aspects of

parents' ability to shield their children from the parental

conflict, whichwas the overarching goal of the program.

INTRODUCTION

Parenting coordination is a unique child-focused, hybrid legal-psychological family dispute resolution model developed

in view of the emerging evidence concerningthe adverse effectsof high-conflict parenting on the children entangledin

the parental conflict (Kelly, 2014). In most cases, separated or divorced parents eventually come to terms with their

emotionsand learn to manage their conflict, with about 75%–80% achievingsome measure of stability within2–3years

(Cohen & Levite, 2012). However, a relatively small group of parents continue to engage in intense conflict and

adversarial court proceedings for years, caught upwith their children in a continuous crisis, definedin the literature as a

136 FAMILY COURT REVIEW