What to include in a parenting plan
A practical checklist of the arrangements a parenting plan usually covers, from the weekly schedule to holidays, school, health, money, and communication.
By Tina
2 min read
What a parenting plan is
A parenting plan is a written agreement between parents about how their children will be cared for across two homes. It turns general intentions into specific arrangements both homes can follow.
Parenting plans can be informal or part of a mediated or court process. Rules differ between situations, so check with a mediator or solicitor about what applies to your family.
A parenting plan checklist
- Living arrangements: the regular weekly schedule and which home is which on each day
- Handovers: times, places, who does the drop off, and what travels with the children
- Holidays and special days: school breaks, festivals, and birthdays, and how they are shared
- School: who attends parents' evenings, who receives reports, and how school decisions are made
- Health: GP and dentist details, medication, and how health decisions are agreed
- Money: which costs are shared, how they are split, and when they are settled
- Travel: how much notice is needed and what details are shared before a trip
- Communication: how and when parents contact each other, and how children contact the other home
- Changes: how either parent can propose a change to the plan
If you are still choosing the weekly pattern, our guide to custody schedule examples compares the most common options.
Writing it so it works day to day
- 1Be specific: a time and place is clearer than a general intention.
- 2Plan for the common exceptions, such as illness or a late train.
- 3Keep the language neutral and focused on the children.
- 4Agree a date to review the plan, such as each September.
Keeping the plan in use
A plan only helps if both homes can find it and it reflects how things actually run. Store the current version where both parents can reach it, and replace it when a new version is agreed.
In Parenting Apart you can upload your parenting plan to the documents area. Once it is uploaded, a summary shows how the schedule, communication, expenses, and travel have followed it, which makes reviews more concrete. See keeping family records in one place for more on organising documents.
Common questions
Is a parenting plan legally binding?
How often should a parenting plan be reviewed?
Should children have a say in the plan?
Written by Tina
Tina writes Parenting Apart guides on holiday schedules, shared expenses, and keeping family records organised, with practical steps that make arrangements between two homes easier to follow.