How I've Remained Innovative in Working with Families During the Pandemic

Nine months ago, we could have never anticipated the far-reaching effects the novel coronavirus would have on our lives and our worlds.

On my last work trip at the beginning of February (a time soon to become known as “pre-COVID”) to Australia, I flew into Brisbane and recall that the first thing I saw was a line of PPE-covered health officials screening people coming off of our flight. Although I remember being concerned at the time, I certainly did not realize the full weight of the moment. Within a month of that trip, countries around the world began going into lockdown, “levels” and “R-rates” became topics of conversation, and wearing masks and other PPE became the norm, even for me.

New Zealand was an early adopter of very strict lockdown measures, followed by most of the Australian states and territories. Like myself, those across the legal community such as FDRP’s, parenting coordinators, and other Family Justice practitioners were suddenly forced to work in ways we had never imagined. We also found ourselves navigating complex family matters that were previously unimaginable or never considered.

What I Observed Early On

Early into the pandemic, it became clear to me that well-functioning models of day-to-day care, shared care and shared parenting were often quick to fall by the wayside. Couples who were at the point of separating or were in the early stages of resolving their parenting difficulties were thrown into absolute chaos, sometimes adding further fuel to an already inflamed situation.

Since lockdown measures went into effect, courts began meeting by video, submissions were made electronically, representations were made via Zoom, and determinations were (and still are) made through virtual hearings. All the while, Family Mediators on both sides of the Tasman have been working tirelessly to support vulnerable parents through challenging situations including reaching agreements on day-to-day care plans within lockdown bubbles, handling breaches in care plans, and all of the normal paraphernalia that often comes with negotiations between separated parents all while amidst a global pandemic.

As some nations have already experienced brief respites in COVID-19 transmissions, many countries and regions are now experiencing second waves of infection. For families who had also found some relief from pandemic-related disputes, many are now facing chaos once again with school terms reaching an end. But they’re often facing this new challenge with less energy than at the onset of the global crisis.

I know there is much fatigue felt all around, and it’s not just Zoom fatigue. It’s fatigue of children not being able to benefit from regular and reliable contact with both parents. It’s fatigue of parents trying to make a new contact schedule work amidst quarantine precautions. It’s fatigue of Family Justice professionals trying to support separated families in their pain and all-too-understandable frustration. It's fatigue of general social isolation and unwavering health concerns.

Although from the outside, fighting a second wave with little certainty around a vaccine might seem just all too bleak or too hard. But I think many of us who work in the field of Family Justice look for opportunities where ever possible to innovate and offer our support in different ways. I think we see this challenge as an opportunity to innovate and drive change in a system that can benefit from new approaches, especially through a greater acceptance of technology-based solutions. 

Tools that Help Me Stay Connected to Families During the Pandemic

Historically, I haven't always incorporated technology as a core part of my practice, but the lockdown measures caused by the virus has forced me to reconsider. For me, using my Practitioner Account on OurFamilyWizard has made a big difference in my ability to stay informed of what the families I serve are facing today. This platform gives me a bird’s eye view into co-parenting activity in real-time to ensure that decisions are made productively and to know when to step in if a conflict arises.

For example, parents use the Moments feature on OurFamilyWizard to share memories enjoyed with their children and record day-to-day occurrences along with photos and tagged locations. Where appropriate, I review the Moments of families I’m working with, and through these entries, I’m seeing many parents demonstrate wonderful innovation, creativity, and optimism even when faced with the most appalling levels of adversity, income loss, and change to their family structure.

Another feature within this platform that has been extremely helpful to me in my work with families is my ability to upload files to their accounts. Using the section called MyFiles, I am able to share files relevant to each individual family I serve. This often includes guides for parents in getting on with certain aspects of everyday childcare during separation, video clips from the Family Court and Ministry of Health officials, or documents that offer simple tips for co-parenting during the pandemic.

We have a way to go as a civilisation with COVID-19, but my experience of the past nine months tells me that with good support—particularly, with good support from trusted Family Justice professionals—separating and separated families can thrive. Most importantly, the children can benefit from their parents’ creativity, problem-solving and better communication. This alone continues to give me hope.