The well-being and outcomes of children living in separated families are associated with the quality of their relationship with their non-resident parent, and child maintenance provided by that parent. It is therefore important to understand how COVID-19 has affected these. While the Understanding Society COVID-19 survey suggests a strong degree of stability in many children’s relationships with their non-resident parent, those relationships most at risk (of becoming less close or having less contact) during the pandemic are those which were of poorer quality beforehand. Child maintenance is most likely to have reduced during the pandemic where children had less contact beforehand.
University of Lincoln, College of Social Science Research
Caroline Bryson, partner of Bryson Purdon Social Research LLP and a PhD student at CASE
Stephen McKay, University of Lincoln, School of Social and Political Sciences