Divorce & Children

The Child Advocate is devoted to children and the parents and professionals that work with them and advocate for them. Divorce is all to often taken for granted, yet has immediate and long term effects on children. Part of this information is presented with the permission of Christopher Petersen of The Penn State College of Medicine. The information presented at this site is for general use only and is not intended to provide personal advice or substitute for the advice of a qualified professional. If you have questions about the information presented here, please consult a physician, the resources listed or other professional in your area.

Single Mom’s Hostility Can Cause Problems

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Children living with single mothers are at greater risk for social, academic and psychiatric problems than their peers who live in two-parent families. But according to Canadian researchers, factors such as family income, a mother's...

Shared Parenting: The New Frontier

A shared parenting arrangement is defined as involving at least 30 percent of the time with each parent, the incidence of shared care among divorced couples increased from 2.2 percent to 14.2 percent between 1980 and 1992. By 2001, it had reached 32 percent.

Divorce Effects on Children

Divorce is an intensely stressful experience for all children, regardless of age or developmental level; many children are inadequately prepared for the impending divorce by their parents based on 1980 and 1990 studies.

Helpful Links

What Parents Can Do to Help Children Adjust to Divorce – The Ohio State University
Custody Evaluation – Practice parameters from the AACAP
Children and Divorce – Facts for Families