Separated families Separated families

News, research, policy and practice articles on working with separated families, and maximising the involvement of fathers in the lives of their children post-separation.

Practice » Separated families
Blog » Separated families
23 March 2022
Photo: Raul Lieberwirth under Creative Commons license  The quality of the relationship between parents – and specifically how they communicate and relate to each other – has a significant influence on effective parenting, and on children’s long-term mental health and future life chances. 
FI research » Separated families
14 December 2021
We often hear the phrase ‘families come in all shapes and sizes’ these days. But in research, policy and practice there’s still a tendency to define fathers in a simplistic and binary way: you’re either ‘resident’ or ‘non-resident’. 
Policy » Separated families
Blog » Separated families
26 February 2018
This blog was published by CLOSER (Cohort & Longitudinal Studies Enhancement Resources), which is located at the UCL Institute of Education and brings together eight leading studies, the British Library and the UK Data Service. 
FI research » Separated families
Practice » Separated families
19 November 2015
Services providing help to families in which children and young people are looking after parents, siblings or other family members need to improve their engagement with fathers and father-figures. 
Practice » Separated families
18 June 2015
Dads who need help agreeing post-separation arrangements, including child contact, can now access a free initial consultation with qualified solicitors, barristers and mediators. 
FI research » Separated families
7 November 2014
Five-year-olds with two supportive parents score more highly on language development. Shared decision-making by mother and father is directly linked to very young children’s better academic and social skills   Research shows that babies as young as three months are fully equipped to pay attention to two people at the same time: • Babies can rapidly shift their gaze from one person to the other as the interaction develops, sharing attention and feelings with both adults.