More co-parenting in Belgium

In Belgium, family court judges take “evenly distributed” co-parenting as the top option post separation. So there’s been an increase in co-parenting in Belgium. Over 20 years it has risen five-fold to 30.4 per cent in 2023.

Studies show that co-parenting benefits both children and parents.

Co-parenting is not yet the absolute norm in Europe. The highest share of residence co-parenting is in Sweden (56 per cent). Denmark is in second place (38 per cent) and France is third highest (31.4 per cent).

The average is 21.1 per cent with 53.9 per cent of children where divorced parents live either exclusively or primarily with the mother.

Whatever the family pattern may be – whether it’s co-parenting in Belgium or whatever else – we know it’s the quality of the parenting that makes the difference for the well-being and development of the children.