Description
Lithuania has one of the highest rate of divorces in Europe – this issue touches every second family and children. Nevertheless, there is little psychosocial support for children in suchlike situation, especially during the divorce process and there is no integrated model of support for families experiencing conflictual divorce and/or separation. This project purpose and effect development and implementation of early identification, prevention and intervention model for families experiencing post-divorce or separation conflicts in order to reduce the level of destructive conflict that children are exposed to, foster good parental child relationships and keep children from being caught in the middle of parental tensions and disagreements. The results will be developed and tested mechanism of complex integrated support for the target group, programs for children created to help learn ways to cope with situations when they feel pushed to side one parent against the other and avoid feeling responsible for parental problems. The beneficiaries are families experiencing conflictual divorce or separation and child rights professionals.
Summary of project results
Lithuania has one of the highest rate of divorces in Europe – this issue touches every second family while children are the first who suffer the consequences. Nevertheless, there is little psychosocial support for children in suchlike situation, especially during the divorce process and there is no integrated model of support for families experiencing conflictual divorce and/or separation. Project promoter has addressed the problem by developing and testing and early identification, prevention and intervention model (API) for families experiencing post-divorce or separation conflicts. This allowed creating preconditions to reduce the level of destructive conflict that children are exposed to. Moreover, the model was also aimed at fostering good parental child relationships and keep children from being caught in the middle of parental tensions and disagreements. Project promoter has achieved the following results: a) Mechanism of complex integrated support for the families experiencing conflictual divorce or separation was created, implemented, tested and evaluated (API model); b) Additional services (family mediation, shared parenting program, programs for children, rebuilding of child-parent relations) implemented; c) Integrated services for families provided (50 families: 100 parents and 84 children), interdisciplinary teams in 6 municipalities brought together; d) Trainings for professionals (judges, lawyers, professionals of child rights protections services, psychologists, social workers, educators and etc.) involved in high conflict divorce cases implemented (6 municipalities, 60 persons). e) Developed and submitted proposal to Committee on Legal Affairs of Lithuanian parliament for legal regulation of disputes concerning child’s place of residence and child’s communication with the parents’ arrangements. In addition to the abovementioned results project promoter has also developed new programs for: a) children: to help them learn ways to cope with emotions about divorce and situations in which they feel pressured to side one parent against the other. b) parents: to help them to cope with divorce situation and how to share parenting. c) professionals: guidelines for professionals involved in cases of high conflict divorce or separation (families with children).
Summary of bilateral results
Sharing best practices with the donor's partner provided opportunity to gain knowledge and expertise in child rights advocacy and protection in implementing project activities (through the API model, design and execution of advocacy strategy, the formation of interdisciplinary teams). Best practices as well as failures in organizing and conducting child rights advocacy campaigns and legal regulations was particularly important for project team. The partnership with donor’s partner country contributed for expanding bilateral collaboration with other Icelandic organizations (Stepfamily Association, Association for Equal Parenting / Félag um foreldrajafnrétti, Family Center/Fjölskyldumiðstöðin, District Commissioner of Reykjavík).