A Children’s Guide to Divorce – An Effective Tool for Approaching the Children of Divorcing Parents

Silvie Rocovska

Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To introduce the program called The Children’s Guide to Divorce as a tool to approach children whose parents are getting divorced. The text shows how to find out what problems these children have, how the program is implemented, as well as its impact. THEORETICAL BASE: The work is based on the knowledge that children burdened by divorce require protection and support. Working with a group is a tool in social work for managing social problems and improving social functioning. METHODS: To achieve the goal of the first part, we used a study of professional literature and the methodology of the organization Jak Dál? (in translation How Do We Continue?). For the second part, questioning and statistical processing was used, with a total of 98 children and 39 parents completing the questionnaire. The method of technique reflection was used to evaluate the program. OUTCOMES: The evaluation of the research documenting the impact of divorce from the children’s and parents’ viewpoints resulted in the presenting of the program as an appropriate tool for practice with children. SOCIAL WORK IMPLICATION: The text offers ways to support children in the period of family dissolution and methods to prevent problems of child development.

Keywords
divorce, family, loss, children, shared custody, social work, group program, evaluation

p. 57-75