Planning for Parenting Time: Ohio's Guide for Parents Living Apart

Long-Distance Parenting and Relocation
GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS
Children generally
are resilient
following their
parents’ divorce,
and those who have
healthy
relationships with
both parents can
thrive.
When parents live far apart, there should be a minimum of four blocks of
parenting time between the child and parent each year. Blocks of time
should occur over the summer, winter break, spring break and at least
one other block of time. When the parents live close enough to each
other, parents can add once-a-month weekend time during the months
not covered by the four parenting time blocks. When the driving distance
is less than approximately 100 miles, the opportunity exists to add everyother-weekend
contact or long weekends into the schedule.
Holidays and special occasions are challenging for parents who live far
apart. As children reach age three, they become aware of holidays.
Parents must be flexible, cooperative and allow the child to enjoy special
times with each parent. New family traditions may develop for each
household. Parents should arrange for the many religious, cultural or
national holidays that exist in each home, including family birthdays,
Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.
Long-distance parenting is expensive. The cost of travel is not covered in
the child-support guidelines, but in some cases, may be a basis for
modifying the amount. If the court does not say who pays for the travel
expenses, the parents should agree on how to share these costs before a
move. A cost-saving idea is to have the distant parent do most of the
traveling and not the children.
The county of your residence may have a model parenting time schedule
that includes long-distance parenting and relocation. Parents should look
to these models, as well as anything stated in this Guide.
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