Separation is one of life’s most challenging transitions – not just for parents, but for children and families too.
That’s why Share the Care was developed: a collaborative resource designed to support co-parents to create workable parenting plans with their children’s best interests at heart.
What is Share the Care?
The booklet provides clear, practical guidance and ready-to-use templates to help parents:
- Understand what a parenting plan is and how it fits within the legal system
- Make thoughtful decisions about finances, living arrangements, education and other parental responsibilities
- Communicate respectfully and reduce conflict
- Access further support when it’s needed.
Alongside practical tools, it offers compassionate guidance for maintaining cooperative relationships during a difficult time.
How this tool can help
Parents who have used Share the Care often say it helped them to think more deeply about co-parenting, gave them a structure to build upon, and made day-to-day decisions easier for themselves and their children.
This latest version has been updated to reflect the evolving needs of Australian families, including contemporary examples of issues separating parents may need to navigate, and recent changes to the Family Law Act.
What’s inside?
In addition to templates for decision-making, Share the Care includes:
- Pages for recording children’s health and wellbeing information
- Space for emergency contacts
- A directory of useful services and resources for families.
The resource is designed to be flexible – whether parents are newly separated or looking to update existing agreements, it provides a foundation for more respectful and sustainable co-parenting.
What if I need further help?
The road to collaborative parenting is not always easy. If you feel you need extra support, this booklet provides more information about next steps, including counselling and family dispute resolution.
Relationships Australia NSW offers family dispute resolution (also known as mediation) to help separating couples resolve parenting, property and financial matters in a safe and constructive way.
To learn more or find support, call us on 1300 364 277.
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