Management of the visitation, exchange and communication regime with children during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The pandemic caused by COVID-19 led governments in most countries around the world, including Spain, to decree the confinement of citizens. This confinement involved, in families with separate parents, a direct impact on the visitation and exchange schemes of children, directing parents to reach an agreement or, failing that, a judicial decision. In order to know the reasons why the parents would suspend the exchanges, and the changes that had been made to the stays and communications. A total of 226 Spanish parents in the situation of partner break with sons or daughters subject to exchanges, responded to an online questionnaire (google form). The results showed that the parents admitted a multi-causality for the suspension of exchanges; than about 3/4 (70.8%) cases changed the time of stay and communication with children with a decrease in the exchange rate of 83%, compensated with more telephone/telematic contact (92.1%); that statistically in half of cases visits were suspended (44.2%), generally remaining (85.0%) in the custody of the mother; in statistically half of cases (47.8%), the changes were agreed between the two parents; that the causes that significantly motivated the changes were legal, the best interest of the child (46%; safeguarding his health), the protection of public health (16.1%; not favouring the transmission of COVID-19) and regulations (11.2%; displacement is not allowed). The implications of results for child welfare and parental competence for conflict resolution are discussed.