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 8
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 2 to 5 years.
How it Works
Each week, one parent will have the child for 2 days and then the other parent will have the child for 3 days; rotating off and on.
Example
Vacations
Parents may have two one-week periods separated by at least 4 weeks. 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 should consider dividing holidays or special occasions in time blocks similar to their regular parenting time.
This plan should be chosen if
- Parents have cared for the child about equally
- Both now how to care for the child overnight
- Live close enough to each other that the child will not have long car trips between the homes
- Parents can communicate and cooperate with each other about the well-being of the child
Advantages
- Each parent has solid blocks of time with the child
Disadvantages
- Inconsistent from week to week
- It may be confusing for the parents to follow and remember which days they are to care for the child
- Only rarely would a parent have a full weekend
- It might be hard to arrange extracurricular activities unless both parents commit to dropping off and picking up the child
Item of Note
This plan requires both parents to live near enough to one another, manage conflicts away from their child, an communicate well about their child. This plan may also be appropriate when there is an older child who spends considerable time with both parents.