In the fall of 2024, the Arizona Department of Child Safety (DCS) mailed letters to parents who once had an open dependency and/or severance case.
Did you receive a letter? Visit the DCS letter page for more information.
Parenting Time Schedule: Plan 14
The plans provided are to act as a guide in developing a parenting time plan that best suites the needs of the child as well as the parents.
They are recommendations, not required methods.
Recommended for children ages 6 to 18 years.
How it Works
The parents share time with the child during alternating 7-day periods. A midweek overnight period is optional with the parent who does not have parenting time that week.
Example
Vacations
The age of the child should be taken into consideration before setting stipulations on the amount and frequency of vacation taken. At least 30 days before the planned vacation, each parent must give the other parent written notice of the travel dates. At least 3 days before travel, each parent must give detailed information to the other parent, including the places they will be going and how to reach the child or the parent during the vacation.
Holidays
Parents may alternate, share, or split the holidays for children of this age.
This plan should be chosen if
- Both parents have cared for the child about equally
- Both know how to care for the child overnight
- Live close enough to each other that the child will not have long car trips between homes
- Can communicate and cooperate with each other about the well-being of the child
- Parents have been successfully following Plan 1 or 11
Advantages
- Limited transitions
- The child is able to "settle in" at each household
- By starting the alternate week on Friday, the child has the weekend to adjust to the upcoming family environment
Disadvantages
- Requires effective parental communication and cooperation to arrange weekly activities
- 7 days away from each parent may be unsettling for some children
- Transitioning to the other household after being gone a week may be difficult
Item of Note
The more consistent the life is from week to week, the easier it is for the child. Parents who cannot communicate or work well together find it hard to make this plan succeed for the child.