The National Council on Family Relations (NCFR) has released a new policy brief urging policymakers to integrate positive, cooperative co-parenting into the center of family and social policy. Authored by Nicolas Favez, clinical psychology professor at the University of Geneva and Mark Feinberg, research professor at the  Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center, the brief highlights decades of research showing that the quality of co-parenting relationships significantly shapes both child development and parental well-being.

Why Co-parenting Matters

Researchers have long recognized the central role co-parenting plays in overall family functioning. Dr. Feinberg said the evidence is clear.

“The co-parenting relationship serves as the foundation of family functioning and the foundation of parents’ confidence in their own parenting capacity, and thus impacts their stress and mental health,” Feinberg said.

The brief explains that when adults raising a child work cooperatively, the benefits extend to every member of the household. Conflict or lack of coordination between caregivers, however, can create strain that influences nearly every dimension of daily family life.

“It’s the parents together who can support each other and cooperate as parents or undermine each other and engage in conflict,” Feinberg said. “These different ways of handling the co-parenting relationship influence every dimension of the family.”

A Disconnect Between Research and Policy

Despite a strong body of evidence, current family policies rarely acknowledge co-parenting. Many social systems still focus primarily on the mother–child dyad, reflecting outdated gender assumptions that no longer represent the diversity of modern families. As a result, fathers, stepparents, same-sex parents, grandparents, and other caregivers are frequently overlooked in both policy language and institutional practice.

Feinberg said this gap exists largely because many professionals do not recognize the significance of co-parenting within the broader context of family health.

“The largest barrier is that service providers and policymakers generally don’t see the co-parenting relationship as critical, because we tend to emphasize the importance of individual parenting,” Feinberg said.

Toward More Comprehensive and Inclusive Policies

The authors emphasize that creating more inclusive family policy will require coordination across institutions. Existing policies, service structures, and cultural expectations vary widely, making solutions context-specific.

“Each institution and each service sector—and each local or national government—would have to figure this out, because the existing policies and the culture differ in each case,” Feinberg said.

The brief encourages policymakers to consider how policies could better support parents as a team, from parental leave decisions to the language used in forms and family programs. It also outlines the importance of adapting approaches for families experiencing conflict or domestic violence.

A Call for Greater Awareness

Above all, the authors hope the brief inspires a broader recognition of how essential co-parenting is to family well-being.

“The first thing is simply to appreciate the importance of how parents support and coordinate with each other for both their own well-being and for children’s development,” Feinberg said.

Although it is often challenging for schools, service agencies, or programs to involve multiple caregivers, Feinberg said the effort can significantly strengthen outcomes for families.

“Even though it is often difficult to involve both parents in educational or social service settings, it can help engage both parents in a different way and provide strong benefits for the child.”

Looking Ahead

The brief concludes that promoting positive co-parenting is vital for strengthening family resilience, advancing gender equality, and supporting child well-being across a wide range of family structures.

Read the full brief athttps://www.ncfr.org/policy/research-and-policy-briefs/promoting-positive-coparenting-toward-comprehensive-and-inclusive-family-policies