Web resource:	http://www.aifs.gov.au/institute/pubs/fm2004/fm67/bs.pdf
Type:	Journal Article
Title:	The attitudes of separated mothers and fathers to 50/50 shared care
Other Titles:	Family matters
Authors:	Smyth, Bruce Weston, Ruth
Keywords:	Family law;Parenting
Year:	2004
Publisher:	Australian Institute of Family Studies
Citation:	67, Autumn 2004
Notes:	This article uses data from the Australian Institute of Family Studies’ 2003 project, Caring for Children After Separation, to look at attitudes of separated mothers and fathers with regard to 50/50 shared care. The data were collected from a sample through random digit dialling of Australian households with landline telephones; this allowed contact with unlisted numbers. More than 163,000 calls were made around Australia. Analysis focused on 1,027 parents (56% women; 44% men) who had separated or divorced and who had at least one child under the age of 18 years. It reports that less than 6% of separated parents exercise shared care. Diversity of views exists in relation to the concept of 50/50 care. Views of separated parents vary along gender and residence status. The data suggest that most separated fathers like the idea of equal-time parenting but most separate mothers do not; most parents with equal-time parenting liked it (but there were few co-parent mothers reporting this); most non-resident parents are in favour of 50/50 care whereas most resident parents are not; and the small group of fathers and mothers with split care (at least one child lives with each parent) have different views. For each of these residence types, fathers were more likely than mothers in the same residence type to support 50/50 care. The idea of 50/50 care was also rejected by those who reported a great deal of conflict with their former partner.
URI:	https://anrows.intersearch.com.au/anrowsjspui/handle/1/17042
Appears in Collections:	Journal Articles

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