Adapting Your Parenting Plan for School Amid COVID-19

 Posted on August 31, 2020 in Divorce

This is the start of a new school year that is unlike any that students and parents have experienced before. With COVID-19 looming as a continuing threat, some schools are forgoing in-person classes or using a hybrid of remote and in-person learning. For students who are attending in person, parents must monitor their children’s health and news of possible outbreaks at the school. The ongoing health crisis makes it more important than ever that divorced or separated parents work together to make sure they are protecting their children, which may require reviewing and modifying their parenting plan.

How Does Remote Learning Affect Parenting Time?

Parents do not normally have to worry about parenting time when a child is at school, but remote learning means that parents must determine who will be with the child during their “school day” if the child is too young to be left on their own. You and your co-parent need to consider several factors:

• Is one of you already going to be at home during the day?
• Are you available to help your child if needed?
• Can your child create a constructive learning space at your home?

It may turn out that the parent who is most available is not the one who normally has parenting time on school days. If the best situation for your child’s remote learning does not match your parenting plan, you will need to modify the plan.

Who Can Decide on Health Risks Involving School?

Some schools are letting parents choose whether their child will attend class in person or opt for remote learning. Though most parents have already made their decision before the start of the school year, there is still a chance that they will need to re-evaluate the decision if there is a COVID-19 outbreak at the school. Can your co-parent decide on whether to allow your child to attend school without consulting you? Part of the allocation of parental responsibilities is giving decision-making authority to parents. It is common for a parenting plan to state that both parents must give permission before making major decisions about the child. If this is your situation, you can remind your child’s other parent now that you are to be included in the decision-making process when it comes to your child’s safety during the pandemic.

Contact a DuPage County Divorce Attorney

If your child’s schooling situation is forcing you to adjust your co-parenting arrangements, it is important to add the major changes to your parenting plan. The Naperville divorce lawyers at Calabrese Associates, P.C., have been helping co-parents modify their parenting plans as needed during this unprecedented public health crisis. Call 630-393-3111 to schedule a consultation.

Source:

https://dph.illinois.gov/topics-services/diseases-and-conditions/diseases-a-z-list/coronavirus/schools-guidance