LGBTQ-parent families: Diversity, intersectionality, and social context.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, and trans (LGBTQ) parents become parents in a variety of ways, including via reproductive technologies, through foster care and adoption, and in the context of different-gender relationships. This review addresses research developments over the past 5-6 years, revealing that LGBTQ people continue to face barriers in becoming parents, especially those who are trans, of color, and have limited financial means. Bisexual and trans parents are increasingly centered in research, and have unique experiences of parenthood related to navigating (in)visibility and stigma in various contexts. Recent work has documented the impacts of sociopolitical events (e.g., COVID-19, the Trump presidency) on LGBTQ parent families, particularly those with multiply marginalized statuses. Likewise, an increasingly intersectional lens has exposed how axes of privilege and oppression impact LGBTQ parents' sense of belongingness in various contexts and social groups. Finally, recent work has continued to document the powerful role of context and family processes in the lives and adjustment of youth raised by LGBTQ parents. More research is needed on LGBTQ parents with marginalized identities that have been poorly represented in the literature, such as nonbinary parents and parents with disabilities.

School-age adopted children's early responses to remote schooling during COVID-19.

Objective: This mixed-methods exploratory study sought to address the experiences of 89 adoptive parents (heterosexual, lesbian, and gay) in the United States with school-age children in relation to the transition to remote schooling and their children's mental health during the early part of the COVID-19 pandemic. Background: The transition to remote schooling and associated confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic presents challenges for families, particularly when children are struggling with mental health and learning challenges. Methods: Data were collected via an online survey between May and June 2020. Before the pandemic, almost half of the children received special education services. Results: Findings revealed that although a minority of children were doing well with remote schooling, the majority were struggling due to lack of motivation and an inability to work independently. Some parents voiced challenges with teacher communication and inconsistencies across classes and were overwhelmed by the demands of their new role as proctor/teacher. Some were dissatisfied with how children's school services had been implemented and noted difficulties with the online format of various services (e.g., therapy was less engaging). Regarding children's mental health, half of parents said it had stayed the same, one third said it had worsened, and the remainder said it had improved. The mental health of children adopted via foster care seemed to have benefited from the additional time spent at home. Yet most children were described as struggling in part due to social isolation and loss of routine, which manifested in a variety of ways, including anxiety, schoolwork avoidance, and boundary testing. Most parents tried to show patience, tolerance, and reassurance, but more than one third reported stress and frustration associated with not knowing how to best support their children. Conclusion: The transition to remote schooling during COVID-19 may be especially challenging for adoptive families and other families whose children have higher levels of need. Implications: Findings have implications for parents, teachers, school social workers and psychologists, and other professionals who work with children and families.

Apart, but still together: Separated parents living in limbo during COVID-19.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, parents face unprecedented challenges linked to social isolation, uncertainty about the future, and financial, employment, and school-related stress. Individuals who planned to separate and divorce before the pandemic now find their lives on hold. In this exploratory study of 14 women who completed an online survey of open- and closed-ended questions regarding the divorce process and parenting challenges during COVID-19, we were guided by family stress and resilience theory and a directed qualitative content analysis approach to generate a collective story of their experiences, which included four themes: (a) pile-up of tensions, challenges, and stressors, (b) living in limbo during the pandemic, (c) finding creative strategies and solutions to navigating parenting and relational dissolution, while still living together, and (d) reaching the breaking point. We conclude with implications for professionals seeking to support individuals, couples, and families during a time of unprecedented transition and uncertainty.

The impact of COVID-19 on child welfare-involved families: Implications for parent–child reunification and child welfare professionals

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted children and parents involved in the child welfare system and the professionals working with these families. Using survey data collected August?September of 2020, this mixed-methods study examined the perspectives of 196 child welfare-involved professionals (77 attorneys, 99 caseworkers, and 20 therapists) in the United States about the impact of COVID-19 on parents of origin, children, foster parents, and child welfare professionals. Particular attention was paid to the implications of COVID-19 and associated challenges for parent?child contact and reunification. With respect to professional stresses, more than half of participants worried about their own personal safety and health amidst COVID-19, and more than three-quarters expressed concerns about the safety and well-being of child welfare-involved families. Participants, especially attorneys, expressed concerns about parent?child contact and disruptions to reunification. In-person parent?child visits had all but ceased during the early part of the pandemic, and participants identified barriers to effective virtual visits, including lack of foster parent oversight, technology issues, and children?s developmental stage and/or lack of engagement. Attorneys were especially critical of the cessation of in-person visits and viewed this as a serious threat to child-parent bonds and reunification. Participants, especially child welfare workers, voiced concerns about children?s mental health and educational outcomes amidst the pandemic. Findings have implications for attorneys, child welfare workers, and other practitioners who directly and indirectly interface with child welfare-involved families.

Divorced and separated parents during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant stress for individuals, couples, and families. Divorced and separated couples with children face unique stresses amid the pandemic. This mixed-methods study explored these challenges among 296 divorced and separated parents: namely 204 women formerly partnered with men, 34 men formerly partnered with women, and 58 women formerly partnered with women, who were surveyed during Summer/Fall of 2020. Participants described legal, financial, and coparenting challenges. Those who were not yet divorced described difficulties filing for or finalizing their divorce because of court closures and lack of responsiveness from legal professionals. Those who were already divorced also faced legal challenges, such as being unable to obtain a court date to modify custody arrangements. Financial challenges included renegotiating financial support obligations in the context of job loss. Salient coparenting conflicts, explored through closed- and open-ended questions, included communication issues, different views on virus risk mitigation behaviors, financial issues (especially for those not yet divorced), and transitioning between households and handling remote schooling (especially for those with shared physical custody). Participants elaborated on COVID-19-specific challenges, revealing that (a) lack of communication or agreement regarding shared strategies for risk mitigation reflected and exacerbated challenging dynamics between coparents, (b) remote schooling was often the site of disagreement when one parent felt that they were doing more than their fair share of coordination and oversight, and (c) different perspectives on science were expected to lead to future contention when making a joint decision about whether to vaccinate children. Findings have implications for family and legal professionals working with divorced, divorcing, and separated parents.

La pandemia de la COVID-19 ha generado mucho estrés en las personas, las parejas y las familias. Las parejas separadas y divorciadas que tienen niños enfrentan tensiones únicas en medio de la pandemia. En este estudio de métodos combinados se analizaron estas dificultades entre 296 padres divorciados y separados, por ejemplo, 204 mujeres que antes estaban en pareja con hombres, 34 hombres que antes estaban en pareja con mujeres y 58 mujeres que antes estaban en pareja con mujeres, a quienes se los encuestó durante el verano/otoño de 2020. Los participantes describieron las dificultades legales, económicas y de cocrianza. Aquellos que aún no estaban divorciados describieron dificultades para presentar la demanda de divorcio o para finalizar su divorcio debido a los cierres de los juzgados y a la falta de respuesta de los abogados. Los que ya estaban divorciados también enfrentaron dificultades legales, como no poder obtener una cita en el juzgado para modificar los acuerdos de tenencia. Entre las dificultades económicas se encontraron la renegociación de las obligaciones de ayuda económica en el contexto de la pérdida del empleo. Los conflictos de cocrianza más destacados, analizados mediante preguntas cerradas y abiertas, fueron los problemas de comunicación, los diferentes puntos de vista sobre las conductas de disminución del riesgo de contagio del virus, los problemas económicos (especialmente para aquellos que aún no estaban divorciados) y la transición entre hogares y el manejo de las clases virtuales (especialmente para aquellos con tenencia compartida). Los participantes explicaron en profundidad las dificultades específicas de la COVID-19, y revelaron que (a) la falta de comunicación o de acuerdo con respecto a las estrategias compartidas para la reducción de riesgos reflejaron y exacerbaron la dinámica compleja entre los copadres, (b) las clases virtuales fueron generalmente el punto de desacuerdo cuando uno de los padres sentía que estaba haciendo más de lo que le correspondía con respecto a la coordinación y la supervisión, y (c) se esperó que los diferentes puntos de vista sobre la ciencia condujeran a futuras disputas a la hora de tomar una decisión conjunta acerca de si vacunar o no a los niños. Los resultados tienen consecuencias para los especialistas en familia y en leyes que trabajan con padres divorciados, que se están divorciando y separados.

Consensually nonmonogamous parent relationships during COVID-19

During the COVID-19 pandemic, parents in consensually nonmonogamous (CNM) relationships navigated public health directives to social distance and avoid contact between households. Many parents practicing CNM share romantic, sexual, and coparenting relationships across households, and the pandemic introduced challenges and opportunities for innovation in maintaining connection. This qualitative study sought to explore the experiences, challenges, and adaptations of CNM parents, using survey and interview data from 70 US parents collected between May and December 2020. Thematic analysis highlighted that many parents spent less time with non-cohabiting partners and more time with cohabiting partners and children, but also adapted via creative strategies such as incorporating partners into a quarantine pod, inviting partners to move in, or connecting over technology. These data illuminate the diverse ways that CNM parents engaged in and ?queered? family and partner relationships during the pandemic.

Parenting in a Pandemic: Work–Family Arrangements, Well‐Being , and Intimate Relationships Among Adoptive Parents

The COVID‐19 pandemic presents unforeseen challenges to families. This mixed‐methods study aimed to address how 89 adoptive parents (lesbian, gay, heterosexual) with school‐age children are navigating a major public health crisis with social, economic, and mental health consequences. Specifically of interest were adoptive parents' worries and concerns;work–family arrangements;and mental, physical, and relational health, in the context of the pandemic and associated quarantine. Findings revealed that 70% of participants had changed work situations, with most newly working from home just as their children initiated remote homeschooling. The division of labor was rarely a source of stress, although the parent who was more involved in homeschooling sometimes experienced resentment. Concerns related to the pandemic included worries about health and children's emotional well‐being and global concerns such as the national economy. Almost half reported declines in mental health (e.g., due to the stress of working and homeschooling), with lesbians being significantly more likely than others to report declines. Declines in physical health were rarer (less than 20%), with more than a quarter reporting improvements (e.g., due to increased exercise). Few reported declines in relationship quality, although almost a quarter reported declines in intimacy. Findings have implications for family and health professionals.