Children’s experiences of shared care

A great deal has been written about shared care, but few research studies have interviewed children and young people about their views and experiences. This chapter reviews the findings of various research studies and draws, in particular, upon several studies conducted by the authors at the University of Sydney, Australia. There is no one parenting arrangement that is best for all children and, in many cases, a shared care arrangement may not be logistically feasible. Many children and young people, however, express a preference for shared care. Reasons include being able to maintain a close relationship with both parents and seeing it as fairer for the parents as well. Negatives include going backwards and forwards between parents. Spending more overnight time with fathers does not impact upon children’s closeness to their mothers. It is important to listen to children’s views about whether a shared care arrangement will work for them, and to keep listening as they get older and circumstances change.