The Meaning of Home for Children and Young People After Parental Separation: Key Insights for Practice

Abstract

This article draws on a recent study of the meaning of home for children and young people after parental separation to provide a way of shifting adult attention beyond prevailing focus on the amount of time children spend with each parent, towards a greater attentiveness to children and young people's views on how their living arrangements look and can work effectively for them. Face-to-face, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 68 children and young people aged 8–18 years, and 39 of their parents. Participants were recruited mainly through social media, family and relationship support services, and professional networks. Overall, we found that children and young people's descriptions of what home meant to them and how they sought to make a home conveyed the centrality of relationships and safety to shaping home. We consider how our findings can be used by family law system professionals in their work with families to support more meaningful discussions about post separation parenting, at a time of significant legislative change designed to encourage greater focus on children's best interests and voices.