Parenting Plan
Template
Permission to Copy: This publication may be used or copied by parents
and family justice professionals without charge. Commercial reproduction
of significant portions or the entire document is prohibited, except with
the permission of the Ontario Chapter of the Association of Family and
Conciliation Courts (AFCC-Ontario). These materials are not intended to
provide legal or other professional advice, and neither the AFCC-Ontario
nor the members of the Task Force have any liability to users.
https://afccontario.ca/parenting-plan-guide-and-template/
Can be downloaded without charge as Word or pdf
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Preparation of the Parenting Plan Template
The AFCC-Ontario Parenting Plan Template has been prepared by the Ontario Chapter
of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC-O) to assist parents and
their professional advisors in developing child-focused parenting plans. The material in
this Template provides suggestions for clauses that may be used or adapted by parents
and their advisors. It is intended to be used in conjunction with the AFCC-O Parenting
Plan Guide, which offers suggestions for positive co-parenting, and discusses age-
appropriate residential schedules for children and the making of a parenting plan. The
Guide should be read before the Template is used. The central premise of the Guide
and Template is that in most cases it is in the best interests of children for parents to co-
operate, reduce conflict between them and for their children to have a significant
relationship with both parents. These materials should help parents to do this.
The project to develop these materials was supported by the Board and membership of
the AFCC-Ontario. While the members of the Task Force listed below took the lead in
the drafting of this material and approved the final product, many others contributed
ideas and specific suggestions as the work progressed. The Template is a collaborative
effort, with ideas and inspiration from many sources. Some of clauses proposed here
are adapted from the Justice Canada, Parenting Plan Tool; the Sample Parenting Plan
in the Appendix is based on a precedent provided by Andrea Himel.
Task Force Members
Nicholas Bala, Law professor, Kingston (Chair)
Rachel Birnbaum, Social Work professor, London
Brian Burke, family lawyer, Toronto
Crystal George, Co-ordinator of Social Services, Aamjiwnaang First Nation, Sarnia
Kim Harris, psychologist, London
Andrea Himel, family lawyer, adjudictaor & mediator, Toronto
Carolyn Leach, Children’s Lawyer, Toronto
Rana Pishva, psychologist, Ottawa
Michael Saini, Social Work professor, Toronto
Jennifer Wilson, family lawyer, Toronto
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Table of Contents
Using this Parenting Plan Template ........................................................................................ 1
Professional Advice ................................................................................................................ 1
Issues to Address ................................................................................................................... 2
Making a Parenting Plan ........................................................................................................ 3
Family Background ................................................................................................................. 4
General Principles .................................................................................................................. 4
Parenting Time Schedule ....................................................................................................... 6
Transfers of Care of the Children ..........................................................................................10
Long Weekends, Vacations and Special Days .......................................................................11
Flexibility in Response to Unexpected Events and “Missed Time” .........................................17
Childcare (Right of First Refusal) ...........................................................................................17
Persons Authorized to Pick Up and Drop Off the Children .....................................................18
Children’s Personal Items ......................................................................................................18
Scheduling Extra-Curricular Activities ....................................................................................19
Virtual Time (Telephone, Texting, Video Calls and Other Contact) ........................................19
Social Media ..........................................................................................................................20
Time with Other Significant Adults .........................................................................................21
Time with Half and Step-Siblings ...........................................................................................21
Making Decisions About Your Child .......................................................................................21
Sharing Information and Communicating About the Children .................................................23
Medical and Dental Appointments .........................................................................................25
Buying Clothes and Sports Equipment ..................................................................................25
Religion, Culture and Ethnicity ...............................................................................................26
Indigenous Heritage ..............................................................................................................27
Special Needs .......................................................................................................................27
Documents ............................................................................................................................28
Passports ..............................................................................................................................28
Vacations and Travel .............................................................................................................29
Restrictions on travel .............................................................................................................29
Local moves ..........................................................................................................................30
Relocation .............................................................................................................................30
Reviewing, Monitoring and Changing the Parenting Plan ......................................................31
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First Parenting Plan Review ..................................................................................................32
Unanticipated Changes .........................................................................................................33
Family Dispute Resolution .....................................................................................................33
Signing & Witness of Signatures............................................................................................34
APPENDIX – EXAMPLE OF A PARENTING PLAN ..............................................................35
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AFCC-ONTARIO PARENTING PLAN TEMPLATE
Using this Parenting Plan Template
A parenting plan is a written document that outlines an agreement by both parents
about how they will raise their children after separation or divorce. This Parenting Plan
Template gives a starting point for drafting a detailed plan. However, each plan should
be unique, reflecting the individual needs and circumstances of the parents involved.
This Template is intended to offer suggestions and options for provisions that you and
your professional advisors may want to consider and adapt to meet your situation.
Preferably, both parents will work together to develop their parenting plan, often with the
assistance of professional advisors such as lawyers, mediators or mental health
professionals. However, if you are unable to work with the other parent to complete a
parenting plan, you might prepare your own draft of a preferred parenting plan, and then
present it to the other parent as a proposal for their consideration. Being clear about
what you want in a parenting plan can help clarify both differences and similarities in the
ideas of each parent.
One parent preparing a parenting plan alone as a proposal can be an important first
step towards reaching an agreement. A parenting plan proposed by one parent can also
be helpful if a case later proceeds to court, both to show what that parent wants and
how they are prepared to support and involve the other parent with the child. However,
a parenting plan prepared by only one parent alone will not bind the other parent.
Professional Advice
Before completing a parenting plan, it is valuable to consult with a family law lawyer who
can help you to understand your legal rights and responsibilities. A parenting plan that
has been agreed to by both parents may be a binding document that has legal effect
and can be incorporated into a court order. While the Parenting Plan Template focusses
on “parenting” issues, the type of plan and residential arrangements that are made will
While having a parenting plan based on the agreement of both parents is usually
valuable, in situations where there are on-going partner abuse concerns or one
parent has serious mental health or substance abuse problems, it may be necessary
to have a court-imposed order or plan to protect a vulnerable parent and children.
Further, it will only be advisable to have a jointly-made parenting plan if both parents
are willing and able to communicate, co-operate and make child-focused plans.
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inevitably have a relationship to financial and legal issues, such as support and
possession of the family home.
Parents can make a parenting plan together without seeking professional help. The
AFCC-Ontario Parenting Plan Template and other resources are available to assist
parents. However, parents will often benefit from getting advice from mediators,
counsellors, therapists, parenting coordinators or lawyers to help make a parenting
plan. It is an especially good idea to seek independent legal advice before finalizing a
parenting plan, in particular to understand its implications for economic issues like child
support.
Issues to Address
Each section of this Template addresses different issues for you to think about as you
decide on your parenting arrangements. They include:
• general principles to guide your co-parenting relationship;
• how your children will spend time with each parent, including plans for
vacationsand holidays;
• making decisions about your children, such as decisions regarding schools or
health-care;
• sibling relationships, and children being able to visit and communicate with one
another;
• new adult relationships of a parent that might affect your children;
• the use of technology to keep in touch with your children;
• protocols for exchanging information and communicating about your children’s
needs;
• taking account of your children’s views in developing the parenting plan;
• handling medical and school appointments and other practical arrangements for
your children;
There are family lawyers who are willing to provide advice or consultation to parents
on a “limited scope” basis, charging a fee, usually an hourly rate, to review a
parenting plan or other agreement, without providing full representation.
See website of the Ontario Family Law Limited Scope Legal Services Project for
more information about this type of legal service, and names and contacts for
lawyers doing this work.
In Ontario, there are mediation services affiliated with the Family Courts throughout
the province that provide services without charge to low income persons and on a
geared to income basis for others than can provide valuable assistance in helping
parents to reach agreements, whether or not they have lawyers.
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• planning for extracurricular activities for your children;
• cultural heritage, religious observance and faith issues;
• obtaining medical care or counselling for your child;
• travel arrangements;
• considerations for relocation by a parent;
• disability or death of a parent;
• how to resolve disputes as they arise in the future; and
• reviewing, monitoring and changing the parenting plan
There may be other issues that are not addressed in this document that you or the other
parent may wish to address, and this Template should not be regarded as exhaustive of
all the issues that could usefully be in a parenting plan.
Many parents will decide that some of the issues identified in this Template do not need
to be addressed in their plan, as they have clearly agreed about how to deal with them,
or their children are too young (or too old) for them to be relevant. If parents do not
consider it pressing or important to address an issue when making their plan, it may be
wise to avoid trying to resolve issues that may arise in the future but seem remote. For
example, if a plan is being made for a child in Grade 1, it will typically not be useful to
address issues about high school attendance. The experience of co-operating in
implementing a parenting plan may make it easier to make joint plans in the future, and
in any event the future circumstances of the children and parents will affect the plans
made.
Many of the options discussed require you and the other parent to co-operate well with
one another. Some of the options may not be appropriate for your situation. In
particular, if there has been family violence or there are ongoing safety issues for you
and your children, options that would require you and the other parent to interact
frequently may not work. If you have concerns about safety of yourself or your children,
you should consult a lawyer, a local shelter or the police, and may need to seek an
order from the court for your protection.
Making a Parenting Plan
All families are different. A parenting plan needs to be individualized to meet the needs
of specific children and parents. This Template is intended to be used in conjunction
with the AFCC-Ontario Parenting Plan Guide. This document offers examples of
clauses you may want to use or adapt for your parenting plan.
It is important to note that this Template does not address issues related to child
support or other financial issues. To learn more about child support, you may
consult the material of the Community Legal Education Ontario (CLEO) on Child
Support or use the federal child support guidelines and worksheets.
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The terms in this Template are only examples. Your parenting plan needs to be tailored
to meet your child's specific needs. For example, if one or more of your children have
any special medical or learning needs that must be taken into consideration, you may
wish to create separate parenting schedules or even separate plans for each child. This
will allow you to select different options that better reflect your family’s and children’s
specific needs. At the same time, it is important that your plan be simple enough to
follow and that you do not create unrealistic expectations for the parents or the children.
If it's likely that there will be conflict between you and the other parent about certain
parenting issues, you should think about addressing them in more detail in your plan.
This may help to reduce conflict later. On the other hand, only include the details that
are really necessary. It’s important to remember that you and the other parent will both
need to comply with the rules you include in your plan.
Children's needs change over time, especially as they go through different
developmental stages, and the circumstances of parents may change, including relating
to health, income or new relationships. It's a good idea to recognize that you may need
to revisit your parenting plan as the children get older. You may also need to revisit the
plan if your children’s medical or educational needs change. The last part of this
Template addresses the issue of future modifications to the plan.
Family Background
A parenting plan should begin by identifying the children and parents to whom it applies,
and making a statement that it is intended to have legal effect (assuming that is the
expectation of the parents).
SAMPLE PARENTING PLAN
BETWEEN [PARENT #A] AND [PARENT #B]
The following Parenting Plan applies to the children of [parent A] and
[parent B], being [child #1 full name], born [birth date of child #1] and
[child #2 full name], born [birth date of child #2]. This Parenting Plan is a
"domestic contract" under the Family Law Act (Ontario) and is also
intended to have effect in proceedings under the Divorce Act. The parties
agree that it may be incorporated into a court order.
General Principles
You may wish to include general statements about your parenting relationship and your
responsibilities to your child at the beginning of your parenting plan. These statements
are meant to provide guiding principles about how both parents should conduct
themselves to protect their children from the conflict. The general statements help to
keep the focus on the children and can reinforce the importance of children having a
good relationship with both parents. To protect the children from adult conflict, the
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general statements can also be about ways that you and the other parent will
communicate and co-operate with one another about the needs of your children.
Here are some general statements of principle, some or all of which might be
recognized or adapted for your parenting plan.
Responsibilities to Our Child
Children of separated parents do best in both the short term and the long run
when they feel loved and cared for by both parents. We recognize that this
requires that we co-operate, and that we each support our children having a
good relationship with the other parent.
We are both responsible for and will contribute to the care and upbringing of our
children.
Our children have the right to love and be loved by both parents, without feeling
guilt or disapproval.
We agree that we will make decisions that are in the best interests of our children
and will put their interests ahead of our own.
We will find an appropriate way to consider our children’s views in making our
decisions.
We will make it clear to our children that although we're asking for their input,
they're not responsible for the decisions or final plans. We are responsible for
making these decisions.
Our children and the other parent should know well in advance about important
changes that will affect them, such as if one parent is planning to relocate or
have a new partner move into their home.
We will keep our children out of our conflict. We will not ask them to pick sides,
carry messages, or hear our possible complaints about the other parent.
We agree that we will communicate in a civil manner with each other, and we will
not argue in front of the children or involve them in any conflict between us. We
will each encourage our children to respect the other parent.
We agree that we will seek counselling services from a mental health
professional to assist us in parenting our children post-separation and divorce.
Responsibilities to Each Other
We will both promote our children's relationship with the other parent. We will not
speak negatively about the other parent in the presence of the children, and we
will encourage our children to spend time with their siblings, the other parent, and
their extended family. We will discourage family members and friends from
speaking negatively about the other parent in the presence of the children.
We will exchange educational, medical, and extra-curricular information about
our children.
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We recognize the importance of exchanging contact information (parents'
address, telephone numbers, email address), so we can communicate and know
about our children.
We recognize that new intimate relationships of either parent may impact our
children. We agree that we will carefully consider how to introduce any new
partners and possible step-siblings to our children. We will discuss these issues
with the other parent before introducing new partners to our children.
Alernative Statement About New Partners
We recognize that new intimate relationships of either parent may impact our
children. We agree that we will carefully consider how to introduce any new
partners and possible step-siblings to our children. We will discuss these issues
with the other parent before there is significant involvement of new partner in the
lives of our children (e.g a vacation with a new partner, cohabitation, remarriage,
a pregnacy as a result of a new relationship).
Reviewing this Parenting Plan
We recognize that as our children grow up and as our lives change, we will need
to review this parenting plan and adjust it from time to time.
From time to time, we may need to change this parenting plan to reflect our
children’s changing needs. Any such changes will be discussed as early and as
often as required at parent meetings, as well as where appropriate with our
children. We expect to review and seek input from our children about this
parenting plan as the children become older.
We will use a non-court family dispute resolution process (e.g. mediation) if we
are unable to agree to changes needed to the parenting plan. We will avoid
unnecessary litigation that places our child in conflict about the parenting plan.
Parenting Time Schedule
The parenting time arrangement (or parenting time schedule) is an important part of a
parenting plan. The parenting time schedule that you agree to should be based on an
assessment of your children's best interests, as well as the parents’ lives, in particular
your work schedules. There are several examples below of schedules for school-aged
children, but there may be other parenting time arrangements that would work better in
your situation. It's important to think about practical issues in developing a parenting
time arrangement that is best for your children and realistic for you. For example, work
schedules, transportation and how far you live from the other parent will likely affect the
parenting time arrangement.
The parenting schedule should be made responsive to the needs and best interests of
children; parents may benefit from consulting with a mental health professional or
counsellor to help them understand the needs of their children. Parents also should be
aware that some parenting arrangements will affect child support obligations and
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entitlement to some government benefits. In particular, if a parenting schedule results
in a child living with each parent at least 40% of the time, that may result in equal or
near equal parenting time for the purposes of the Child Support Guidelines, and may
affect entitlement to the Canada Child Benefit and the Eligible Dependent Credit for tax
purposes.
Sometimes instead of setting out a specific schedule, agreements or orders use
language like "reasonable" or "generous" parental time with the children. This leaves it
up to parents to decide parenting time arrangements on a flexible, ongoing basis. While
this works well in some cases, it can result in disputes and conflict. Many parents find
that having a detailed, written parenting time schedule helps ensure that parents are
entering into a plan with common expectations and facilitates planning. However, if
there is a written schedule and your circumstances change (as they almost inevitably
will), you should change the schedule. While there is nothing inappropriate about
parents changing their actual schedule without altering the written parenting plan,
agreements to changes that are not confirmed in writing may lead to problems later on if
there are disputes about parenting or child support.
There are many possible parenting schedules. As discussed in the AFCC-Ontario
Parenting Plan Guide, the schedule needs to be appropriate for the age of the child and
the specific circumstances of the child and parents.
It will be very helpful to read the section of the Parenting Plan Guide that considers age
appropriate schedules before starting to make a plan. It may be helpful to start with a
blank 4 week schedule as you begin to discuss this issue. Many parents use a visual
schedule that starts on Monday, which reflects the school week, but some prefer the
commonly used Sunday to Saturday calendar.
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
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Many parents have a “regular” parenting time schedule, and also have some provisions
for special arrangements for holidays or the summer. Here are some examples of
regular schedules to consider. Think about how much you need this amount of detail in
your plan. Some examples of possible schedules are:
Alternating Weekends and One Overnight Per Week with One Parent, Rest
with the Other Parent
The child will live with Parent B every second weekend from after school on
Friday until the start of school on Monday morning. The child will live with Parent
B from after school on Wednesday until school on Thursday. If a child is sick or
unable to attend school on the Monday or Thursday when Parent B would take
the child to school, Parent B will be responsible for the child’s care until the end
of that school day. If there is a school long weekend that includes a Friday,
Parent B’s time will start at the end of school on Thursday, or if it includes a
Monday will end at the start of school on Tuesday. Parent B will be responsible
for picking up and taking the child to school on the relevant days. The child will
live with Parent A the rest of the time.
Alternating Weekends and One Evening Per Week with One Parent, Rest
with the Other Parent
The child will live with Parent B every second weekend from after school on
Friday until Sunday at 4pm and the balance of time with Parent A. Parent B will
also pick the child up from school on Wednesday and drop them off at Parent A's
residence at 8pm that evening. On the weekends when the child lives with Parent
B, Parent B will pick the child up from school on Friday. If there is a school long
weekend when Parent B has the child, Parent B’s time will start at the end of
school on Thursday or continue to Monday at 4pm. Parent B will be responsible
for picking up the child at school and taking them to Parent A on the relevant
days.
Residence with One Parent, Supervised Weekend Time with the Other
Parent
The child will live with Parent A. Parent B will have time with the child from 10am
to 4pm every second Saturday at the home of B’s parents. One of B’s parents
and/or his sister will be responsible for the child and supervising B’s time with
them and will pick up and return the child to the home of Parent A at the start and
end of the visits.
Equal Time: Alternating Weeks
The child will live alternating weeks with Parent A and Parent B. If the child is
living with Parent A in a given week, Parent A or a delegate will pick the child up
on Monday after school and drop them off at school the following Monday
morning. Parent B or a delegate will do the same the following week.
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Equal Time: Split-Week (2-2-5-5) Rotation
Our parenting time schedule is a rotation based on two consecutive days with
each parent and then five consecutive days with each parent, with each parent
having two uninterrupted weekends a month. The child will live with:
1. Parent A from Monday after school until Wednesday morning before
school;
2. Parent B from Wednesday after school until Friday before school;
3. Parent A from Friday after school until the following Wednesday morning
before school;
4. Parent B from Wednesday after school until the following Monday morning
before school.
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Parent A
Parent A
Parent B
Parent B
Parent A
Parent A
Parent A
Parent A
Parent A
Parent B
Parent B
Parent B
Parent B
Parent B
Parent A
Parent A
Parent B
Parent B
Parent A
Parent A
Parent A
Parent A
Parent A
Parent B
Parent B
Parent B
Parent B
Parent B
Equal Time: Split Two-Week (2-2-3-2-2-3) Rotation
Our parenting time schedule is a rotation over a two-week period. In each week,
the schedule is based on two consecutive days with one parent, then two
consecutive days with the other parent, and then three consecutive days with the
first parent. With each parent having two weekends. The child will live with:
1. Parent A from 7pm on Sunday until Tuesday before school
2. Parent B from Tuesday after school until Thursday before school
3. Parent A from Thursday after school until 7pm on the Sunday beginning
week 2
4. Parent B from 7pm on the Sunday beginning week 2 until Tuesday before
school
5. Parent A from Tuesday of week 2 after school until Thursday before
school
6. Parent B from Thursday of week 2 after school until 7pm on the following
Sunday.
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Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Parent A
Parent A
Parent B
Parent B
Parent A
Parent A
Parent A
Parent B
Parent B
Parent A
Parent A
Parent B
Parent B
Parent B
Parent A
Parent A
Parent B
Parent B
Parent A
Parent A
Parent A
Parent B
Parent B
Parent A
Parent A
Parent B
Parent B
Parent B
Transfers of Care of the Children
While arrangements for transport of children will often be made based on parental work
schedules and logistical factors, if possible the parent who has care prior to the transfer
should deliver the child to the other parent. This helps the child get the sense that each
parent values the child being with the other parent: one parent is giving over care to the
other parent, who is welcoming the child into their home, rather than having the child
feel that one parent is taking them away from the other parent. This type of transfer
arrangement also helps the child with getting dressed and packed up, which is often
harder for children than arriving somewhere.
Drop offs and pickups at the start and end of school or day care may also be easier for
the child, and minimize the number of overall transitions between the parents that the
child experiences. Some alternatives for transfers are as follows:
Transporting the Child to the Other Parent’s Home
When a parent's time with the child begins while the child is in the care of the
other parent, the parent who has the care of the child before the transfer is
responsible for transporting the child to the other parent’s home.
Picking Up the Child from the Other Parent’s Home
When a parent's time with the child ends, the parent with whom the child will next
be spending time is responsible for transporting the child to their home.
Picking Up the Child from School
When a parent's time with the child begins after school, that parent is responsible
for picking the child up at school. When the parent's time ends on a school
morning, that parent is responsible for dropping the child off at school and
ensuring that the child has what they need for the day at school.
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Exchanges in Neutral Settings
Parents will use a neutral place for all transfers of the child at a specified time
and location [fill in time and location].
Exchanges in Safe Settings
Parents will use a neutral safe third-party professional to supervise all transfers
of the child (e.g. supervised access and exchange programs).
Long Weekends, Vacations and Special Days
There should be consideration of how children will spend their summer, and whether
provision should be made for holidays or long weekends (whether resulting from
statutory holidays or school based professional development days), and “special days,”
like the birthday of a parent or the child.
Christmas Break and New Year's Eve
Regardless of the regular parenting schedule, in even-numbered years the child
will be with Parent A from December 24 at 11am to December 25 at 11:00 am and
with Parent B from December 25 at 11:00 am to December 26 at 11:00 am, and
with Parent B from December 31 at 11am to New Year’s Day at 11am. In odd-
numbered years this schedule will be reversed.
Possible Added Provision for Christmas School Break to Allow for Travel
It is contemplated that either parent may, from time-to-time, wish to alter the
Christmas schedule to take the child on a holiday for up to 10 continuous days.
The parties acknowledge that it is intended that if a change in the Christmas
schedule is agreed to by the non-requesting party, the requesting party will be
expected to reciprocate the following year on the same terms. Where one parent
wishes to change the Christmas schedule for a given year, the requesting party
will give the other party at least four weeks' notice of the proposed change and
they will attempt to resolve the issue directly. In the event they cannot resolve the
issue between themselves, they will use the dispute resolution provisions of this
Parenting Plan to resolve the issue.
Alternative for Christmas School Break to Allow for Travel
In even numbered years Parent A will have the children from Friday after school
at the start of the Christmas break until Saturday in the middle of the break at
4pm. Parent B will have the children for the rest of the break and return the
children to school on the first day of school in January. This will be reversed in
odd-numbered years.
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Holiday Schedule (Jewish)
The holiday schedule will supersede the regular residential schedule. It will be as
follows until otherwise agreed to by the parties, or ordered by the Court.
Passover and March School Break
The child will reside with Parent A for the Passover Holiday and March School
break, commencing on the last day of school and ending on the morning that
school re-commences. The Parent A may travel with the child during the Break. If
Parent A chooses to remain in Toronto, she will facilitate one overnight stay with
Parent B.
In the event that the child has March Break that does not coincide with Passover,
the parents will share the March Break and Breaks in that school year equally with
an exchange at 4:00 p.m. on the day in the middle of the break.
Rosh Hashana
In odd-numbered years the child will reside with Parent B on Erev Rosh Hashana
from 4:00 pm and is to be returned to the other parent’s home the following day at
4:00 pm. The child will reside with Parent A from 4:00 pm on the first day of the
holiday to 4:00 pm on the second day. This will be reversed in even-numbered
years.
Yom Kippur
In odd-numbered years the child will reside with Parent B on Erev Yom Kippur
from 4:00 pm until the next day at 12:00 pm. The child will reside with Parent A
from 12:00 pm on Yom Kippur to return to school or the other’s parent’s home the
following day at 12:00 pm. This will be reversed in even-numbered years. The
12:00 pm exchanges will take place at the synagogue or at the other parent’s home
as agreed.
Sukkot
In odd-numbered years the child will reside with Parent B on Erev Sukkot to a
return to Parent A’s home the following day at 4:00 pm, and on the second to last
evening of the holiday from 4:00 pm until the next day at 4:00 pm The child will
reside with Parent A on Sukkot from 4:00 pm on the first day to a return to school
or the other parent’s home the following day if there is no school, and on the last
evening before the end of the holiday from 4:00 pm to return to school or the other
parent’s home if there is no school. This will be reversed in even-numbered years.
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Christmas School Break (for Jewish Child)
The child will reside with Parent B for the Christmas school break, commencing on
the last day of school and ending on the morning that school re-commences. The
Parent B may travel with the child during this school break. If Parent B chooses to
remain in Toronto, he will facilitate one overnight with the Parent A each week.
In any school year that Parent A does not have March Break in its entirety, the
Christmas school break will be shared and the child will reside with Parent B from
after school on the last day of school to 7:00 pm on the Saturday in the middle of
the vacation, and with Parent A until a return to school at the end of the break.
Muslim Eid holiday
The parties will alternate the Muslim Eid holiday dates every year. For the 2019-
2020 school year, the child will be with Parent B for the first Eid (which coincides
with the end of Ramadan) from 10 am until 7:30 pm (if he is not otherwise in the
Parent B’s care) and with Parent A for the second Eid (Haj) from 10 am until 7:30
pm (if he is not otherwise in the Parent A’s care). For the 2020-2021 school
year, he will be with Parent A for the first Eid and with Parent B for the second
Eid. This schedule will alternate every year.
School March Break (No Special Religious Days)
Regardless of the regular parenting schedule, the parents will alternate March
breaks from Friday at the end of school until the start of school on the Monday
morning after school, with Parent B having the child for the entire March break in
odd-numbered years, and Parent A having the child in even-numbered years.
The parent with care of the child for March break may travel with the child.
Alternative for March Break
In even-numbered years the Children will reside with Parent B commencing with
the Monday (am) and ending on the Friday (pm) of the March school break,
which will attach to his regular weekend. In odd-numbered years the children will
reside with Parent A.
Alternative for March Break
The child will reside with Parent B for the first half of the March Break, commencing
on the last day of school and ending on the Wednesday at 4pm, and Parent A will
have the child until school resumes at the end of the March Break morning that
school re-commences.
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Summer Vacation
Each parent will have the child for three continuous weeks each summer. In
even-numbered years, by May 1 Parent A will inform Parent B of the three weeks
that they want to spend with the child. In odd-numbered years this will be
reversed.
Alternative for Summer Vacation
Each party will have a two week period of uninterrupted time with the Children
during July and August, preferably attached to his/her regular weekends. Parent
A will have her first choice of weeks in odd-numbered years, and Parent B in
even-numbered years. The party with the first choice will advise the other in
writing by January 15 annually. The party with the second choice will advise the
other in writing by January 22 annually. The balance of the summer school break
will follow the regular schedule.
It is also possible to vary the regular schedule for long-weekends, but if parents have a
regular schedule that includes alternating weekends with each parent, varying that
schedule for long weekends may create situations where one parent has the children
three weekends in a row. Most parents find it easier to vary the regular schedule by
adding a day, recognizing that over the years the long weekends tend to average out, or
just maintain the regular schedule.
The first clause does not vary the schedule, except to make the “weekends long”, and is
premised on an alternate weekend schedule.The second example is more detailed and
complex, and, without detailed re-scheduling may result in one parent having three
weekends in a row despite an alternate weekends regular schedule.
Long Weekends
If there is a long weekend (whether due to a Statutory Holiday or Professional
Development Day), the parent with time scheduled for that weekend will have
responsibility and care of the children until the start of school on Tuesday, or if
the day off from school is a Friday, will be responsible for picking up the child
after school on Thursday.
Alternative for Long Weekends
Regardless of the regular schedule, the parents will have the children with them
as set out for the following holiday long weekends (except that, for any weekend
set out below that takes place during a party's summer vacation with or without
the children, that summer vacation schedule will prevail).
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(a) Family Day Weekend: with Parent A in even-numbered years and
Parent B in odd-numbered years.
(b) Easter Weekend: with Parent B in even-numbered years and Parent
A in odd-numbered years (from Thursday after school until Tuesday
morning when school starts.)
(c) Victoria Day Weekend: with Parent A in even-numbered years and
Parent B in odd-numbered years.
(d) Canada Day Weekend: with Parent B in even-numbered years and
Parent A in odd-numbered years.
(e) August Civic Holiday Weekend: with Parent A in even-numbered
years and Parent B in odd-numbered years.
(f) Labour Day Weekend: with Parent B in even-numbered years and
Parent A in odd-numbered years.
(g) Thanksgiving Weekend: with Parent A in even-numbered years and
Parent B in odd-numbered years.
Hallowe'en
In even-numbered years Parent A will have first right to take the child trick-or-
treating if s/he wishes. If Parent A does not wish to take the child trick-or-treating
for that year, Parent B will have the option of trick-or-treating with the child. This
will be reversed in odd-numbered years.
For all years, if a parent takes the children trick-or-treating when he or she is the
non-resident parent, that parent will pick up the children from school on October
31 (or at 3:00 pm from the resident parent, if October 31 falls on a weekend) and
return the children to their schools the next morning or, if the next morning falls on
a weekend, to the other parent at 10:00 am the following day. The parent who
takes the child trick or treating will be responsible for the costume.
Alternative for Hallowe’en
The non-resident parent will have the option of taking the child out for one hour of
his/her choice at Hallowe’en. The non-resident parent will give the resident
parent two weeks’ notice of the hour selected. The resident parent on
Hallowe’en will be responsible for the child’s costume.
Snow Days and Other Unanticipated School Closures
The resident parent for a given day is responsible for the care of the child whose
school is closed that day for a professional activity, a snow day, and any other
day when the school closure is otherwise than on account of a long weekend
(which days are specifically dealt with under this Parenting Plan).
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Where a school closure is both unanticipated and takes place on a "transition
day" (i.e., when a child is with one parent for the overnight and then the other
parent after school ends the following day), the parent who had the child for the
overnight of the transition day will be responsible for the child's care during the
closure. This transition day exception will not apply to anticipated closure days
(e.g. a professional activity day) and in such cases the resident parent for the day
of the closure will be responsible for the child with him or her, as set out above.
Parents’ Honoured Days
If not otherwise in parent’s care, regardless of the regular schedule, the child will
spend time with the honoured parent from Saturday at 7:00 p.m. to Sunday at
7:00 p.m. (or a return to school on Monday).
Alternative to Parents’ Honoured Days
A parent celebrating his or her birthday when he or she is the non-resident parent
will have the option, upon providing two weeks' notice to the resident parent, that
he or she wants the child to be with him or her for dinner that day. The celebrating
parent will pick the child up after school or at 4pm if not a school day, and will
return the child at 8pm.
Some parenting plans make special provision for the birthdays of parents or children,
though many do not. While it is understandable that parents want to enjoy celebrations
with their children, children often appreciate having “two birthdays” rather than dividing
time on their actual date of birth. Further, children may want the opportunity for a party
with their friends on their birthday. It is also understandable that parents want their
children to celebrate their birthdays, but most children do not necessarily expect this to
be on the anniversary of their parent’s birth, and variations of a parenting schedule can
add complexity, especially if they are in the summer or the festive period in December.
Children’s Birthdays
The non-resident parent may take the children out for dinner for up to 2 hours on
each child’s birthday.
Parents’ Birthdays
A parent celebrating his or her birthday when he or she is the non-resident parent
will have the option, upon providing three weeks' notice to the resident parent, that
he or she wants the child to be with him or her for that day. In such case, the child
will be with that parent from 10am on the day of the parent's birthday (if a weekend
or holiday) and/or after school (as applicable) until the start of school or 10 am the
following day, at which time the regular schedule will resume.
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Flexibility in Response to Unexpected Events and “Missed Time”
You should expect that to meet the needs of your children, you will at times likely need
to be flexible with the parenting schedule. For example, you may need to reschedule
your children's time with one parent if there is an out-of-town sports tournament during
their time with the children, but the other parent is responsible for transportation to and
from the activity.
There will also inevitably be unexpected personal and family emergencies, such as the
death of a close relative, that will require flexibility. A good way to respond to situations
when you are asked to be flexible to an unexpected event or emergency faced by the
other parent is to think about how you would want them to respond if you were faced
with a similar situation or emergency.
Most parents can address missed time issues resolve on a flexible, informal basis as
situations arise, and, if appropriate, arrangements can be made for the makeup time at
the same time as the variation is being sought, so many parenting plans do not have
specific provision for this. However, an example of a clause that could deal with this
situation is:
Rescheduling and Make-up Time
If a parent is faced with an unexpected situation such as illness or a death in the
family, or an irregular event like a family wedding, the other parent will make
every effort to accommodate a request for a change in the schedule. If the
change in the schedule results in the children missing considerable time with the
accommodating parent, reasonable “make-up time” will be arranged by the
parents.
Childcare (Right of First Refusal or Priority for Parental Care)
Some parents agree that if the parent with scheduled time with the child is unable to
personally be with child, the other parent should have the first option to provide
childcare so they should be contacted before childcare arrangements are made. In
many cases, however, these types of arrangements can cause conflict between the
parents, so it may be better to have no provision for a “right of first refusal.”
Issues of make-up time or right of first refusal are most likely to be a concern if children
have only limited scheduled time with one parent, or there are likely to be absences for
a significant period of time. Parents who are co-operating reasonably well can usually
deal with these situations without specific provision, but some possible clauses are:
Parent Unable to Provide Care and “Right of First Refusal”
We agree that if childcare is required for more than twenty-four hours, the parent
with whom the child is living will notify the other parent and give them the
opportunity to spend the period for which childcare is required with the child. If
the other parent cannot accommodate the request, the resident parent is
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responsible for arranging and paying for alternate childcare and will inform the
other party of who will be caring for the children.
Ask other parent when practical
We agree to call the other parent, whenever it is practical, for childcare needs,
giving the other parent an opportunity to decide if they can parent during these
times.
Residential parent has sole responsibility
We agree that when the children are residing with one parent, that parent will
have the sole responsibility for making childcare arrangements.
Persons Authorized to Pick Up and Drop Off the Children
Sometimes one parent is not be able to pick up or drop off the children as scheduled
and may arrange for someone else to do this. In most cases, this should not cause
problems and it should be the right and responsibility of the parent with care of the
children to determine who will do this. But, in some cases, one of you may have
concerns about who picks up and drops off your children. If you do, it's a good idea to
discuss this issue and decide how you will handle it.
Pick Up and Drop Off
If it is not possible for Parent A or Parent B to pick up or drop off the child as
provided for in the parenting time arrangement, the parent who is responsible for
the pick up or drop off may delegate another person to pick up or drop off the
child.
Alternative for Pick Up and Drop Off
If it is not possible for Parent A or Parent B to pick up or drop off the child as
provided for in the parenting time arrangement, the following people may pick up
or drop off the child: [insert names of all individuals who may do this].
Children’s Personal Items
Children often have favourite clothing, toys, or communication devices that they would
like to have with them, wherever they are living. Even if these are gifts from one parent,
it is normally appropriate to recognize the child’s attachments and rights to personal
property . If there is potential for conflict on this issue, it can be important to be clear
about where the children may take these items.
Children’s Personal Items
We agree that Parent A will transport our child’s favourite items to Parent B
during the transfers with the child back and forth.
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Alternative for Children’s Personal Items
The child may take personal items (for example, clothing, toys, sports equipment,
cell phone, regardless of which parent purchased these items), between the
homes of Parent A and Parent B. We will not restrict the child's ability to take
these items between our homes. The parents will each have toiletries, pajamas
and as many belongings as possible for the children in their homes. These items
will not travel back and forth.
Scheduling Extra-Curricular Activities
In the absence of a provision in a parenting plan or the agreement of the other parent,
one parent should not schedule extra-curricular activities during another parent's
scheduled time with a child. Scheduling an activity in the other parent’s time, without
their consent, is very inconsiderate, as it either forces that parent to do something that
was not wanted, or results in the child not engaging in that activity, which may be
upsetting to the child or disruptive to the organizers of the activity.
Scheduling Extra-curricular Activities
Neither of us will schedule extra-curricular activities during the time the child is to
be living with or in the care of the other parent, unless the other parent agrees.
The other parent will not unreasonably withhold their agreement.
Alternative for Scheduling Extra-curricular Activities
Each parent may select and pay for one extra-curricular activity that occurs no
more than once a week for the child, and the other parent will be expected to
take the child to that activity and support the child’s participation during the time
that the child is in their care.
Extracurricular activities that both parents are not willing to support may also be
addressed by a parenting schedule, so that the parent who supports an activity has the
care of the child when that activity occurs.
Virtual Time (Telephone, Texting, Video Calls and Other Contact)
Many parents have flexible arrangements about contact by the children with the other
parent and do not address the issue of communication in their parenting plan.
However, if there is a potential for conflict on this issue, it can be important to set out
some ground rules for contact with a parent while the child is with the other parent.
When this is not clear, misunderstandings can sometimes arise about one parent
"interfering" with the time of the other parent. Examples of possible approaches are
provided below.
You need to decide if and how much telephone/texting or other contact will meet the
child's needs. For example, some children who are doing well spending time with a
parent may become upset just by hearing the other parent's voice on the phone. For
other children, this will not be an issue. Think about what will work best for your child.
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You may wish to speak with your child about how they like to communicate. Do they
prefer to use the telephone, texting, email, video calls (for example, Skype, FaceTime)
or other forms of virtual communication? If there is conflict between you and the other
parent and the child is old enough, you may wish to consider suggesting a form of
communication that the child can use privately on their own.
It is important to remember that the type and length of communication your child can
use will depend on many factors, including their age and stage of development. For
example, young children may find it difficult to have a conversation by telephone or
become bored and restless if the call is more than a few minutes.
Communication with Child
During the regular parenting time schedule, the child may contact each parent
whenever they wish.
Alternative for Communication with Child
During the regular parenting time schedule, the child may contact their siblings or
step-siblings whenever they wish.
Alternative for Communication with Child
During the regular parenting time schedule, Parent A may call the child between
[insert time] and [insert time] when they are with Parent B and Parent B may call
the child between [insert time] and [insert time] when they are with Parent A.
Calls will normally be no more than 10 minutes.
Social Media
For some parents, the use of social media by the child, and use of pictures or other
material about the child on parental social media, are contentious issues that should be
addressed in a parenting plan. Other parents can deal with this on a flexible, evolving
basis. Some possible clauses to address this issue include:
Social Media
Neither parent will post any pictures on social media of the other parent nor make
any derogatory comments about the other parent on social media.
Alternative for Social Media
Each parent may post pictures of their children on social media, which may
include pictures of the child with the other parent, but there will be no derogatory
comments or embarrassing pictures posted about the other parent on social
media.
The parents agree that their child A should not have access to any social media
platform until she reaches the age of X years, and thereafter they will both
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monitor her social media usage to ensure that it is safe and does not cause
embarrassment to either parent.
Time with Other Significant Adults
In most cases, children have relationships with and spend time with other people in their
lives, like grandparents or other extended family members, while they're with their
parents. But sometimes, parents may decide to include a clause in their parenting plan
that specifically provides for contact between the child and another person. For
example, this may apply when a person has been very involved in the care of the child,
and it's important to the child to maintain that relationship by setting up regular visits.
When you're thinking about this type of provision, it's important to keep in mind the
child's overall schedule as well as their involvement in activities.
Visits with Specified Persons (Grandparents)
The child will spend from [insert time] to [insert time] the [insert regularly
occurring day, e.g. the last Sunday of every month] with [insert name of
individual]. [insert name of individual] will be responsible for picking up the child
from Parent [insert Parent A or B depending on the parenting time arrangement]
and dropping off the child to Parent [insert Parent A or B depending on the
parenting time arrangement].
For example: The child will spend from 10am to 4pm the last Sunday of every
month with Grandma A. She will be responsible for picking up the child from
Parent A and dropping off the child to Parent B.
Time with Half and Step-Siblings
If one or both parents have new partners who have children, the parents should discuss
involvement of new partners and family with their children, and may wish to provide for
time with step or half-siblings, either in a schedule or with a more general statement
such as:
Parent A acknowledges that the children have an important relationship with their
half-brother X, who resides with Parent B and his new partner, and Parent A will
support that relationship.
Making Decisions About Your Children
You and the other parent need to decide how you will make major decisions about your
children. Examples of major decisions that may require the involvement of both parents
to implement include decisions about:
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• choice of school and other educational issues;
• medical treatment, any special dietary needs, and other health care needs;
• participation in extracurricular activities;
• attendance at religious observances and/or customary cultural events.
You and the other parent may agree to make these major decisions jointly, have them
made solely by one parent, or divide different decisions between you. Although it is
usually preferable for children if parents consult with each other and make major
decisions jointly, sometimes this is not possible when parents have separated (and
even when parents live together, joint decision-making about children can sometimes
be challenging). As children mature, parents should learn about the views and
preferences of children and consider them in making decisions.
In contrast, day-to-day and emergency decisions are usually made by the parent who is
with the child at any given time. These include decisions such as homework, bedtime
routines, chores, etc. Even for these decisions and routines, it is preferable for parents
to consult and communicate with each other, as well as involving their children. While it
must be recognized that each parent has the right to set “house rules”, it is helpful for
children, especially young children, to have consistency and stability, and for some
issues the health of a child may require certain standards of care.
Joint Decision-Making
We will make significant decisions together about our child's education, health
care, extracurricular activities, language, and spirituality, and encourage input
from children. If we cannot come to an agreement about a major decision, we will
use the dispute resolution process set out in this document.
Parents Consult, with One Having Final Responsibility
Parent A will make decisions about our child's education, health care,
extracurricular activities, language, spirituality and any other major decisions,
after consulting with Parent B and the child.
Parents Consult, with Division of Responsibility
Parent A will make major decisions about our child's education and
extracurricular activities, after consulting with Parent B and the child. Parent B
will make major decisions about our child's health care, language, and spirituality,
after consulting with Parent A and the child.
Sole decision making
Parent A will make major decisions about our child's education, health care, and
religion, culture, language, spirituality and/or cultural events and any other major
decisions, and keep Parent B informed of those decisions.
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Day-to-Day Decisions
During the period when our child is living with or in the care of a parent, that
parent can make day-to-day decisions about our child, for example about, doing
homework, meals, visiting with their friends, use of computer, etc.
Emergency Decisions
In a health emergency, the parent with care of our child at that time will make the
treatment decision, on the advice of medical personnel. If a parent makes an
emergency health decision, the parent who has made the decision must
immediately contact the other parent.
Medical Emergency Decisions or Death of a Parent
In the event of a parent’s medical emergency, the other parent will assume the
major decision-making responsibilities of our child until the situation becomes
resolved.
In the event of the death of one parent, the other parent will care for our child, but
the surviving parent will ensure that our child has continued relations with the
relatives of the deceased parent.
Sharing Information and Communicating About the Children
Good communication is important for a positive co-parenting relationship and allowing
both parents to best meet the needs of the children. It's important to set ground rules
about what information you will share with each other about the children and how this
will be done. It's also a good idea to decide how you will discuss parenting issues that
come up from time to time.
Information About the Children
We agree to share information with each other on a regular basis about our
child's welfare, including their education and school work, medical needs, health
and dental care, counselling, extra-curricular activities and other important
issues.
We agree that we may both ask for and be given information directly from the
child's teachers, other school officials, health care providers (including both
doctors and dentists), and any other person or institution involved with the child.
Each parent will sign all necessary consents for the other parent to receive such
information.
We agree to use a communication binder to share information that is pertinent to
the child. We agree that we will transfer the log book with the child during these
times.
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We agree that we will use a mutually agreed technological calendaring schedule
(like ourfamilywizard.com, with any fee to be split equally) to communicate and
schedule events.
Communicating About the children
We agree that we will speak [indicate when or how often] by phone to discuss
any issue related to the parenting of our child. In addition, we will communicate
with each other by email or text message as needed.
Alternative for Communicating About the Children
We agree that we will meet every four months to discuss how our child is doing,
and make plans for the coming months. In addition, we will communicate with
each other by email as needed.
Exchange of Contact Information
We each agree that we will provide to the other parent our telephone number(s),
email address, and home address. We also agree that if this contact information
changes, we will provide the new contact information to the other parent
immediately.
Attendance at Parent-Teacher Meetings
We agree that it is in the child’s interests that we both attend parent-teacher
meetings together.
Alternative for Attendance at Parent-Teacher Meetings
We agree that we will each arrange our own parent-teacher meetings.
Alternative for Attendance at Parent-Teacher Meetings
We agree that Parent A will attend all parent-teacher meetings and will advise
Parent B of the child's progress.
We agree that both parents will be provided with separate report cards for the
child. We agree that we will notify the school authorities to provide separate
report cards.
Attendance at Child-Related Events
We agree that both parents may attend school events and extra-curricular
activities.
Alternative for Attendance at child-related events
We agree that the parent with whom the child is residing at the time of the school
event and extracurricular activity will be the sole parent to attend these events.
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Medical & Dental Appointments
There are many other decisions and arrangements that you will need to make for your
children, including who will take the children to different appointments with doctors,
dentists or counsellors.
Many parents address these issues on an ongoing and informal basis. If you think,
however, that these issues may result in conflict between you and the other parent, you
should be clear about the issues in your parenting plan. It may also be helpful to consult
with a counsellor, mediator, parenting co-ordinator or other family justice professional to
assist during times of conflict.
Medical Appointments
The parents will jointly make decisions about medical and dental care, and
Parent A will have primary responsibility for making medical and dental
appointments and taking the child to these appointments, and will keep Parent B
informed of all diagnosis and treatment.
Alternative for Medical Appointments
The parents will jointly make decisions about medical and dental care, and
Parent A will have primary responsibility for making medical and dental
appointments. The parents will each take the child to any appointments that fall
within their parenting time, regardless of who made the appointment.
Alternative for Medical Appointments
Parent A will be responsible for taking the child to all appointments with a family
doctor, and Parent B will be responsible for taking the child to all other dental and
health care appointments (for example, counselling, physiotherapy).
It is also important for parents to discuss and agree to issues of payment for medical
and dental treatment, including payment for prescription drugs. In some cases, parents
may have insurance from an employer that covers some expenses, which may affect
which parent takes the child to some appointments or purchases medication. Issues
related to payment may be addressed in a parenting plan, or in a Separation Agreement
as part of the arrangements for child support.
Buying Clothes and Sports Equipment
Children's clothing, sports equipment and toys will need to be purchased.
Many parents address these issues on an ongoing and informal basis. If one parent is
paying child support to the other under a Separation Agreement or Court Order, it will
often be expected that the recipient of child support will have the primary responsibility
for paying for major purchases for the child, such as winter clothing, perhaps with the
agreement or order specifying how some expenses, such as extracurricular activities,
are allocated. If the parents have a “shared custody” arrangement under the Child
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Support Guidelines, with roughly equal parenting time, it may be more important to
address responsibilities for significant expenditures in the parenting plan.
Major Purchases for Children
Parent A will be responsible for making major clothing and sports equipment
purchases for the child including winter clothes and boots, rain gear, and shoes.
Parent A will pay for these from child support payments received. Each parent
may choose to supplement the basic needs of the child by making gifts of
clothing or other items to the child; any such gifts will become the property of the
child, who may take them back and forth or leave them where the child chooses.
Both parents will ensure that outdoor clothing and sports equipment travels back
and forth with the child.
Alternative for Major Purchases for Children
Parent A will be responsible for making major clothing and sports equipment
purchases for the child, including winter clothes and boots, rain gear, and shoes.
Parent A will pay for these and keep track of these expenses, and every six
months, seek reimbursement from Parent B for half of these expenses (providing
receipts.) Both parents will ensure that outdoor clothing and sports equipment
travels back and forth with the child.
Religion, Culture and Ethnicity
For some parents, their religious, cultural or ethnic heritage are very important, and they
want to share their faith, culture or language with their children, while for other parents
these may be less significant issues. If the parents have different faiths, cultural or
ethnic identities that are important to them, addressing these issues may be especially
important but challenging. Some possible clauses to deal with these issues are:
Religious Observance
The parents will each educate and expose the children to their own religion and
cultural heritage as they see fit. Each parent will promote the children’s respect
for the religion and cultural heritage of the other parent, but neither will be
expected to take the child to religious or cultural observances of the other parent.
Alternative for Religious Observance
Even though Parent A is not Catholic, the parents agree that the child will have
First Communion in the Catholic Church, and that the child will continue to be
raised in the Catholic faith by Parent B until the child reaches an age of maturity
and makes her own decisions about religion and faith observance.
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Alternative for Religious Observance
Even though Parent A is not an observant Jew, the parents agree that the child
will be raised in the Orthodox Jewish Faith, and both parents will ensure that the
dietary and other life rules of that faith are followed by the child until the child
reaches the age of 15 years, when he may make his own decisions about faith
observance. Both parents will support the child having instruction in the Hebrew
language.
Ethnic Heritage
The parents acknowledge that Parent A identifies as Afro-Canadian while Parent
B does not. The parents agree that the child may be identified at school or for
other purposes as Afro-Canadian and Parent B will ensure that he is aware of
and proud of this heritage.
Indigenous Heritage
If one or both parents have Indigenous identity, status, heritage, language, traditions or
culture, there may be specific issues related to be addressed in a Parenting Plan. These
might relate to involvement and attendance at community events. If the parents have
different band status registration, they may want to address the child’s registration in
their Parenting Plan.
Indigenous Heritage
The parents acknowledge that Parent A is a member of the Tyendinaga Mohawk
Nation and that the child is a registered member of that Nation. The parents
agree that the child may be identified at school or for other purposes as a
member of that Nation. Parent B will ensure that the child is proud of this
heritage. The parents also acknowledge that Parent B is of Italian heritage, and
Parent A will ensure that the child is proud this heritage.
Special Needs
Both parents should understand the health, mental health and special needs of their
children and preferably should agree upon appropriate interventions involving doctors,
therapists, treatment providers, and special education services. While this will require
flexibility and good communication, it may be useful to set out some terms in a
Parenting Plan for one or more children with special needs.
There may need to be provisions about testing, assessment, diagnosis, treatment and
interventions. This will require decision-making, making of plans and implementation.
There should also be consideration of costs and insurance issues, either in the
Parenting Plan, or in a Separation Agreement or Court Order.
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Special Needs of Child 2
Both parents acknowledge that Child 2 has a Learning Disability. After consulting
with Parent B, Parent A will make decisions about his education and addressing
his Learning Disability, including about possible medication. Parent A will keep
Parent B informed about assessments and interventions, and Parent B will
support the implementation of any plan made by Parent A related to the child’s
Learning Disability.
Documents
There are important documents related to your children such as health cards,
immunization records, SIN cards, birth certificates and passports. It's important to
decide who will obtain and be responsible for keeping these documents secure.
Documents
Parent A will keep the passport issued in the child's name, his SIN card, and his birth
certificate [insert any other relevant documents] at their home, and these documents will
be made available to Parent B as needed. Both parents will have copies of all of the
important documents.
Passports
When parents are separated or divorced, Canadian Passport officials have rules about
which parents’ signatures are needed on passport applications. Unless both parents
apply to-gether, they will usually want a copy of a parenting plan or court order to make
sure that the parent who applies has the legal right to apply and that there are no
restrictions on travel. You can help avoid delays in getting a passport for your children if
you include a clause that sets out which of you must consent on the passport
application.
Please note that in the second option below, Canadian Passport officials will only issue
a passport to one parent alone if the child lives with that parent the majority of the time.
Passports
Parent A and Parent B must both consent for the purposes of a passport
application for [insert child’s name].
Alternative for Passports
Parent A can apply for the passport of [insert child's name] without the consent of
Parent B.
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Vacations and Travel
When one parent plans to travel with the children, especially on a long or faraway trip,
it's important to give the other parent notice so they know:
• where the children are;
• how to contact the children while they're away; and
• when the children are returning.
The Government of Canada strongly recommends that children travelling across
international borders carry a consent letter proving they have permission to travel from
every person with the legal right to make major decisions on their behalf, if that person
is not with them on the trip. You may wish to include a provision in your parenting plan
that deals with consent letters. You may also wish to use the government recommended
consent letters for children travelling abroad.
Vacations and Travel
If Parent A or Parent B plans a vacation with the child, that parent will give the
other parent at least 30 days’ notice before the planned trip, providing the flight
information, the trip itinerary, as well as contact information for the child during
the trip.
Alternative for Travel
Where Parent A or Parent B plans international travel with the child, that parent
will prepare, for the signature of the other parent, a consent letter proving that the
child has permission to travel. The other parent will not unreasonably refuse to
sign the consent letter.
Restrictions on Travel
Sometimes, a parent may be concerned about letting the child leave the province or
country. This may happen, for example, where one parent is worried that the other
parent might try to take the child to live in another country. If you are concerned that the
other parent may try to take your child to another country without your consent, it's very
important that you speak with a family law lawyer to make sure your parenting plan
protects your child.
You should note that placing a restriction on your child’s travel can affect passport
applications. If your parenting plan says that the children cannot be removed from a
certain province or territory (Option 1 below), passport officials may decide not to issue
a passport. You would have to make a new agreement or obtain a court order that
allows the child to travel. In cases where you and the other parent decide that the child
cannot be removed from the country (or a city, province or territory) without the consent
of both parents (Option 2 below), you may both need to sign the passport application. If
you don't, passport officials might not issue a passport.
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Option 1:[insert child's name] cannot be removed from Ontario [ or Canada].
Option 2: [insert child's name] cannot be removed from Ontario [ or Canada]
without the written consent of both parents.
Option 3: [insert child's name] can only be taken from Ontario [or Canada] with
the permission of both parents, and no permission will be given for a trip of more
than ___days. The parents both agree that for the purposes of the Divorce Act
and the Hague Convention on Child Abduction, the child’s habitual residence will
remain Ontario, and that this will only be changed with permission of a court
order or the explicit agreement of both parents.
Local Moves
For those governed by the Divorce Act, as of July 1, 2020 the legislation will require
either parent to give the other notice of any change of residence, though this
requirement may be waived by a court if there are family violence concerns. If you or
the other parent moves within a local area, this will affect your parenting arrangement.
For example, the other parent needs to know where to pick up and drop off the child.
You may also want to give this information to extended family members. Your parenting
plan can include provisions to make sure you and the other parent exchange address
and contact information.
Local Moves
If either parent proposes to change their residence within the city of [insert city],
at least 60 days before the move, they will provide the other parent with the new
address, telephone number and the date of the move.
Alternative for Local Moves
If either parent proposes to change their residence within the city of [insert city],
at least 60 days before the move, they will provide the other parent and the
children's grandparents with the new address, telephone number and the date of
the move.
Relocation
Moves of even relatively short distances can have a significant impact on children and
their relationship with their parents, especially if children are going back and forth
between the homes on their own, or the parents rely on public transit for moving the
child. Relocation is defined in the Divorce Act as a change in the residence of a parent
or child that is “likely to have a significant impact on the child’s relationship” with a
parent.
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The Divorce Act, which governs cases where legally married parents are getting a
divorce or have already divorced, has provisions regarding relocation, and that
generally require a parent who plans to move to give 60 days’ written notice to the other
parent through a form available on the Department of Justice Canada website.
Even if you don't anticipate either parent relocating, circumstances may change for
either parent and this can be a contentious issue if not addressed in a parenting plan.
Relocation
Neither parent may change their place of residence more than X kilometers from
their present location within the city of [insert city], without providing the other
parent with 60 days’ notice of the proposed move and obtaining the written
consent of the other parent or a court order to allow the move. The notice must
include the location of the proposed new place of residence, the date of the
proposed move, and, if necessary, a proposal for modification of the parenting
time arrangement.
Alternative for Relocation
Parent A, with whom the children have their primary residence, may change the
children's place of residence from the city of [insert city], but will not move the
children more than one hour’s drive from the present location. If Parent A
proposes to change the child's place of residence, they must provide Parent B
with 60 days’ notice of the proposed move. The notice must include the address
of the proposed new place of residence, the date of the proposed move, and if
necessary a proposed parenting time arrangement.
If Parent A and Parent B cannot agree on revised parenting arrangements that
may result from one parent relocating, they will use the family dispute resolution
process set out in this document to resolve all issues with respect to the
proposed move.
Parents who live in a large urban area may want to be precise about the area where
they will both continue to reside, as a move within that area may affect travel times for
schools and employment. It is, for example, preferable to avoid saying that both
parents will continue to reside in the “Greater Toronto Area,” but rather to say that both
will contiue to reside in Scarborough.
Reviewing, Monitoring and Changing the Parenting Plan
It is likely that as your children grow older, their needs and your circumstances will
change, so you may have to make changes to your parenting plan. As children grow
older, their views should be considered in reviewing the parenting plan.
If you're considering making significant changes, especially related to the child’s living
arrangements or child support, it's advisable to discuss the issues and show your draft
amended parenting plan to a lawyer before you sign it to ensure that you understand
your legal rights and responsibilities. This is particularly important if the terms of your
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parenting plan are a part of a formal Separation Agreement or have been included in a
Court Order, as those documents should be updated to make the changes legally
enforceable.
First Parenting Plan Review
To make sure your parenting plan is working for your child and is practical for you and
the other parent, you may want to include a provision for a “first review.” This would set
a time for you to meet to discuss the parenting plan and how it's working. If your child is
older, you should consider how to seek the input of your child about whether the
parenting plan is meeting their needs. If you want to include a provision for a first
review, it's important to allow enough time to try out the parenting arrangement first. For
example, you may decide to meet after three months, and then annually or more often if
issues arise.
Natural breaks in the year are often good times to start or end a new arrangement. For
example, the end of the school year, the end of the summer or major school breaks are
good times to make changes.
Plan Review
This plan will be reviewed on [insert date]. At this time, Parent A and Parent B
will discuss the parenting plan and negotiate any changes that they agree are
appropriate.
Regular Parent Meetings
Children need different things from you at different ages and stages of development,
and their schedules will change as they grow older. This is especially true as children
become more involved in activities. The younger your child at the time that you make
the initial plan, the more you can expect that their needs will change and you will need
to adjust your parenting plan. Think about whether your parenting plan should include a
provision that you and the other parent meet regularly to look at the parenting plan and
how it's working for your children.
Parent Meetings
Parent A and Parent B agree that they will meet [insert time period, e.g. annually,
twice a year, three times a year], before the end of [insert a month or months, if
applicable], to discuss the parenting plan. Prior to this meeting, each parent will
review the parenting plan and bring a written list of issues for discussion to the
meeting.
If Parent A and Parent B are unable to agree to changes to the parenting plan
within 30 days of the [insert time period] meeting, they will use the dispute
resolution method set out in this document.
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Unanticipated Changes
Sometimes, you may have changes in your life that you didn't expect when you wrote
your parenting plan. Even if you decide to hold regular meetings with the other parent,
issues may come up between meetings. For example, if one of you has a new work
schedule, you may need to change your parenting plan. It's a good idea to decide how
you will address these types of changes.
Unanticipated Changes
If the circumstances of the child change, including the ability of Parent A or
Parent B to meet the child's needs, we agree to the following process to amend
the parenting plan: the parent who proposes a change to the parenting plan will
advise the other parent in writing of the proposed change, and we will discuss the
proposed change and attempt to come to an agreement to resolve the issue. If it
is not possible to come to an agreement within 30 days [or some other time
period], we will use the family dispute resolution process set out in this document
to resolve the issue.
Family Dispute Resolution
An important reason for developing a parenting plan is to limit future conflicts. But things
you weren't expecting can happen and can affect your parenting plan. Sometimes, you
and the other parent may not be able to agree on how to handle these issues. Also, if
your parenting plan provides that you will make some decisions jointly, you may not
always be able to agree on every issue.
It's valuable to include a provision in your parenting plan that says how you will resolve
disputes. For example, you may agree that before you make a court application to have
a judge resolve a disagreement, you will try a type of non-court family dispute resolution
process. An example of a clause to address this is provided below. While this example
talks about mediation, you may wish to try other types of family dispute resolution, like
collaborative law, arbitration, parenting co-ordination, or consultation with a respected
community member. You may also wish to set out how you will divide the costs of the
family dispute resolution process between you.
Family Dispute Resolution
If there is a future dispute between us that we cannot resolve on our own, we
agree that we will ask [name a respected community member] to decide.
Alternative for Family Dispute Resolution
If there is a future dispute between us that we cannot resolve by negotiating on
our own or with the assistance of lawyers, we agree that we will enter into
mediation before we seek to have the issue resolved in court.
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Costs of Mediation
The parents will share the costs of the mediation equally.
Parent A will pay [choose percentage] and Parent B will pay [choose percentage]
percent of the costs of the mediation.
Signing and Witness of Signatures
Both for purposes of clarity and to help ensure legal enforceability, each parent should
sign the Parenting Plan, and each signature should be witnessed. If professionals like
lawyers have been involved in assisting the parents in making a parenting plan
agreement, they would normally be the witnesses.
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APPENDIX – EXAMPLE OF A PARENTING PLAN
Each parenting plan should be a unique, individually negotiated and drafted document,
and reflect the need and circumstances of the specific parents and children. The
following is NOT intended to be a precedent, but it is just one example of a plan,
provided to illustrate how different parts of a parenting plan might relate to one another.
There are issues that some parents might want to address that are not included, while
others might decide that not all of these issues need to be addressed in their plan.
It is made by two parents who have children aged 6 and 9 years at the time that the
parents made the agreement. Both parents were involved in the care of their children
before separation, though the mother had a somewhat larger role in their care, and took
1 year maternity leaves after the birth of each child. Both are employed full time, with
the mother’s employment responsibilities including teaching a college class on
Wednesday evenings. The children both attend the same school.
The parents are both Catholic, and Christmas is a major family holiday for them.
The parents separated four months before they completed this plan. They have agreed
to have parenting time schedule based on the interim arrangements that they have
developed, which takes account of some extracurricular activities and the work
schedules of the two parents. It gives significant parenting time to each parent, but
more nights and responsibilities to the mother. In their Separation Agreement, the
parents have agreed that the Father, who has a higher income, will pay child support to
the Mother.
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Parenting Plan
January 10, 2020
_____________________________________________________________
INTRODUCTION
1. The following Parenting Plan applies to the children of Justin Jones and Sari Smith,
who are Melissa (August 31, 2010) and David (born December 13, 2013.) This
Parenting Plan is intended to be a domestic contract under the Family Law Act
(Ontario) and is also intended to have effect in proceedings under the Divorce Act.
The parties agree that it may be incorporated into a court order.
2. The parents are committed to this Parenting Plan, and will share in the parenting of
their children, This Plan does not address child support obligations or other legal
issues, which will be resolved separately.
3. This Plan sets out how we will share our parenting rights and responsibilities,
starting with the principles that will guide our co-parenting of our children. The Plan
addresses two major issues:
(i) how major child-related decisions are to be made; and
(ii) the time the Children will spend with each parent, including both a regular and
holiday schedule.
4. Our Parenting Plan also deals with a number of other issues related to our co-
parenting arrangement, including parental communication, what to do if changes are
required, (e.g. telephone contact with the Children, extra-curricular activities,
residential moves, etc.).
5. We are committed to the spirit of the Parenting Plan, which recognizes the
Children’s need for positive and ongoing relationships with both parents. Our
primary goal is to ensure smooth implementation of a Parenting Plan, and to
maximize healthy development of our children.
6. We recognize all possible changes in the circumstances of our children and
ourselves cannot be foreseen when this Plan is being made. Our Children will
mature and change, as will their needs. The parents may change residence (as per
the terms in this Plan) or employment, or repartner, possibly precipitating new living
arrangements and new family dynamics. The Parenting Plan, including the parenting
time schedule may require revision over time, always considering the Children’s
developmental and emotional needs as the primary objective.
7. In the event there is a disagreement between the parents with respect to parenting
arrangements or the Parenting Plan, or a future change in the Parenting Plan, the
parents will follow the procedures for resolving disputes set out below regarding
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Future Dispute Resolution, with an emphasis on resolving disputes in a child-
focused way and without resort to the courts.
8. For clarity, in this Parenting Plan, when the Children are in the care of Mother, she
will be referred to as the “resident parent,” and when the Children are in the care of
Father, he will be referred to as the “resident parent.” The term “non-resident” may
refer to either parent, as the context requires.
PARENTING PRINCIPLES
1. The parents will use their best efforts to parent cooperatively, keeping the Children’s
best interests at the forefront. Their needs will be paramount when addressing child-
related issues and concerns.
2. The parents will support the Parenting Plan in all ways. The parents will recognize
the Children’s needs for positive and ongoing relationships with the other parent and
make every effort to facilitate the relationships of the Children with the other parent
and each parent’s extended family.
3. Neither parent will denigrate or disparage the other parent or members of their
extended family, either overtly or covertly, in any communication with the Children or
in their presence. Each parent will advise others, including their extended families
and friends, to maintain the same standards, refraining from criticizing the other
parent to or in front of the Children.
4. The parents will not speak with the Children directly or indirectly about any issues
related to child or spousal support, property and financial issues between them.
5. The parents will not ask the Children to relay information between them and they will
not be “letter carriers,” but rather the parents will communicate directly with one
another about issues related to this Plan or other contentious issues. The parents
will not communicate with each other about parenting or other issues about their
relationship at transition times, joint activities or special events, except to address
immediate childcare issues.
6. The parents will be polite and respectful to each other at all times, especially when
the Children are present or nearby. In the presence of the Children or in public
places, the parents will greet each other cordially. The parents will not discuss
contentious issues in front of the Children. If one party considers that a discussion is
not courteous, they will discontinue the conversation and will take the issue up at a
different time.
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7. The parents will respect each other’s privacy and towards that end will refrain from
initiating discussion or questioning the Children about the other parent’s personal
lives and activities.
8. The parents will not interfere directly or indirectly into the lives, activities, or routines
of the Children when they are with the other party. Unless required otherwise in the
Parenting Plan or in any court order or arbitration award or in the absence of these,
without the consent of the other party, neither parent will schedule activities during
the Children’s time with the other parent.
9. The parents will make every reasonable effort to ensure that the Children attend
special occasions involving their extended family (e.g., special birthdays and
anniversaries). While it is understood that this may not always be feasible, where
possible the parents will schedule these occasions when the parents know the
Children will be resident with them.
10. Where possible, access exchanges will take place at the Children’s school. When
the school is not open, the Children will normally be picked up and dropped off at
Mother’s home by Father or a person designated by him.
11. The parents will advise each other about any significant changes in their intimate
adult relationship before telling the Children (including but not limited to: travel with
children and a new partner, cohabitation, re-marriage, new baby).
PARENTAL COMMUNICATION
1. The Children have one life and two homes. They will reap benefits from knowing that
both of the parents know about and are involved in their significant life events, whether
those are positive or negative. In an effort to foster consistency, predictability, stability
and continuity of care for the Children, the parents will communicate regularly
regarding their routines, activities and experiences. For now, and until the parents
agree otherwise, the parents may communicate by email, text, telephone or in-person.
For time sensitive matters, when Melissa or David is ill or during emergencies, the
parents will communicate by text or telephone.
2. Under regular circumstances, each parent will respond to communication within 24
hours. If the parents become aware or anticipate that the parents will not be able to
do so, the parents will let the other party know. If a reply to a question and/or a request
for a change requires more time than the agreed to response time of every 24 hours,
the parents will advise that the requested information cannot reasonably be
ascertained by then and advise when a response can be expected.
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3. When Melissa or David is ill or is residing with either parent for uninterrupted vacation
time, the resident parent will provide text or telephone updates and, if requested to do
so, will facilitate a skype or facetime call.
4. All communications, written or otherwise, will be child-focused, cordial, and to the point
about the Children. The parents will remain courteous and polite in communications
with each other at all times. In addition, the parents will refrain from including
information that reflects the personal opinions and feelings about the other party and
concentrate on deciding what is in the Children’s best interests. Any concerns or
questions are permitted and will be presented neutrally without blame or criticism.
There will be mutual respect for differences in parenting style/ approach between the
homes.
REGULAR SCHEDULE
1. Until otherwise agreed to by the parents or ordered by the Court, we agree that our
regular schedule will continue, as set out below:
Week
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
1
Mother
Father
(to 8pm)
Father
Mother
Father
Father
Father
2
Mother
Mother
Father
Father
(to 8pm)
Mother
Mother
Mother
3
Mother
Father
(to 8pm )
Father
Mother
Father
Father
Father
4
Mother
Mother
Father
Father
(to 8pm)
Mother
Mother
Mother
2. The resident parent will be responsible for taking the children to school and bringing
them home, arranging for after school transport and activities as he/she thinks
appropriate.
3. If Melissa or David is ill in the morning and cannot attend school, the resident parent
will contact the other party as soon as possible. Unless mutually agreed to
otherwise, the ill child will remain in the care of the parent who had care of the child
in the morning. If it is a transition day, the ill child will be taken to the home of the
other parent by the resident parent at the time that school normally ends.
4. If the school calls and asks that Melissa or David be picked up early, the party
reached by the day school will contact the other party to advise. Unless mutually
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agreed to otherwise, the party who is scheduled to get the Children from school that
day will pick up the Children from school and assume care as per the regular or
holiday schedule.
HOLIDAY SCHEDULE
The holiday schedule will supersede the regular residential schedule. It will be as set out
below until otherwise agreed to by the parties or ordered by the Court.
1. Christmas and New Years – In even-numbered years the Children will reside with
Father from December 24 (pick up at 11:00 a.m.) to December 25 at 11:00 a.m. The
Children will reside with Mother from December 25 at 11:00 a.m. to December 26 at
11:00 a.m. The balance of the Christmas School Break will be shared equally with
Mother having the first half in odd-numbered years. The exchange will take place on
the Saturday in the middle of the break at 11:00 a.m. In even-numbered years the
reverse is true.
2. March Break – Commencing in March 2020, in even-numbered years the Children will
reside with Father commencing with the Monday (am) and ending on the Friday (pm)
of the school break and will attach to his/her regular weekend. In odd-numbered years
the children will reside with Mother.
3. Summer Break – Summer commences on the Friday after the last day of school and
ends on the Sunday before the return to school. Each party will have a two-week
period of uninterrupted time with the Children during July and August, preferably
attached to his/her regular weekend. Mother will have her first choice of weeks in odd-
numbered years, and Father in even-numbered years. The party with the first choice
will advise the other in writing by January 15 annually. The party with the second
choice will advise the other in writing by January 22 annually. The balance of the
summer school break will follow the regular schedule.
4. Statutory Holidays / Long Weekends / PA Days – The resident parent will have the
additional 24 hours added to his/her regular weekend. The non-resident parent will
have 3 hours time on the Easter weekend and Thanksgiving weekend to celebrate a
holiday meal with the Children. This statutory holiday provision will not apply during
the summer if the Children are with either parent for his/her uninterrupted summer
vacation time.
5. Children’s Birthdays – The non-resident parent may take the children out for dinner
for up to 2 hours on each child’s birthday.
RIGHT OF FIRST REFUSAL
When the parents cannot be available to care for the Children during the regular or
holiday scheduled time for one overnight or longer, the other party will be given the
“right of first refusal” to care for the Children prior to any other person providing
childcare. If the other party cannot accommodate the request, the resident parent is
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responsible for arranging and paying for alternate childcare and will inform the other
party of who will be caring for the Children.
CHANGES TO SCHEDULE
1. This applies when either parent would like to have the Children for a special
occasion when the scheduling of this occasion is out of their control. The parents
recognize the importance of the Children being able to celebrate special occasions
with family and good friends (e.g. family weddings, birthdays, special anniversaries,
etc.) and every effort will be made for them to attend.
2. The parents will communicate by email about a request for a change or modification
to the regular or holiday schedule when the need for a change arises and with as
much notice as possible. A response will be provided as soon as possible and in any
event within 24 hours of receiving the notice. If a definite answer cannot be given
within that time, the parent will advise when they expect to be able to respond about
whether or not the change is agreeable. Important requests will not be denied (e.g.
a wedding or funeral).
3. Neither parent will make plans for the Children when they are scheduled to be with
the other parent, without first having the consent of the other parent. In addition, the
parents will canvas proposed changes to the schedule first with the other parent,
and prior to mentioning anything to the Children about a change or a special activity.
4. Either parent may make an urgent request for assistance from the other if he/she or
the Children are ill, or if an urgent situation arises. Each parent will use his/her best
efforts to accommodate such a request.
5. In emergencies or for unforeseen circumstances (e.g., illness, inclement weather),
significant changes in the drop-off and return times will be communicated to the
other party by text, email and telephone as soon as these changes become known
to the parent having to make them.
EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES & LESSONS
1. The Children’s preferences regarding activities and lessons will be considered and
given age-appropriate weight. Either parent may enroll the Children on his/her time
with the children. The parent enrolling a child in an activity will be responsible for any
expenses associated with the activity, unless the parents agree otherwise. Neither
parent will enroll the Children in any activities that extend to the other parent’s time
with the children, absent the written consent of the other parent.
2. The parents will provide full information about any and all activities to the other
parent, within a reasonable time of the Children being enrolled in same.
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3. The parents will encourage the Children to fully participate in their activities and
lessons. It is understood that they will attend these activities reasonably consistently
and the resident parent is responsible for transportation to and from the activities.
The resident parent will decide when from time to time the Children will not attend
because of illness or other special circumstances.
4. Both parents and any guests may attend “public events” related to extracurricular
activities (e.g., games, recitals, performances, etc.). The parents will remain cordial
and not discuss child-related arrangements or any contentious issues at that time
and will require any of their guests to also remain cordial to the other parent.
THE CHILDREN’S CLOTHING AND BELONGINGS
1. The parents will each have toiletries, pajamas and as many belongings as possible
for the Children in their homes. These items will not travel back and forth.
2. Mother will send one extra set of clothing in the Children’s backpack, which will be
returned clean. The parents will ensure that any clothing, electronic devices or toys
that move between the two homes rotates freely and is returned promptly.
3. Mother will have responsibility for the purchase of winter and other expensive
clothing and footwear, and this clothing will move back and forth between the
homes.
SOCIAL MEDIA
The parents will protect the privacy and safety of the Children and each other by limiting
their exposure on social media as follows:
(1) If pictures are posted on Facebook, the posting parent will not identify the other
parent;
(2) The privacy settings will be adjusted so that only family / close friends can view
the photographs of the Children or other parent;
(3) Family members and friends will be asked to comply with the above terms; and
(4) Neither parent will post on any social media any comments about the other
parent or any disputes between the parents.
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SKYPE, TELEPHONE AND TEXT/EMAIL ACCESS
1. The parents acknowledge that Skype and telephone communication are alternate
forms of access that can be beneficial for the children. The parents also recognize
that the children may be unwilling to spend more than 5 or 10 minutes on any call.
2. Mother will provide each child with a cellphone that has text capabilities and an
email address by their 12th birthday. Until that time, each child may text or email
Father from Mother’s account. Mother will pay all costs related to each cellphone.
DECISION-MAKING
The parents will jointly make decisions regarding the Children, in accordance with the
provisions of this Parenting Plan. However, if they cannot agree, after consulting with
Father, Mother may make the final decision about issues affecting the children’s
medical treatment and education.
General Medical and Health Care
1. The children’s healthcare professionals will be: Dr. Norad (family doctor) and Dr. Kay
(dentist). These professionals may be changed with notice from Mother to Father.
2. Mother will provide Father with the names, addresses and phone numbers of any
additional professionals providing health care to the children (e.g., psychologists,
social workers, counselors, dentists, physicians, occupational therapists,
orthodontists, osteopath etc.).
3. The parents will both sign any consent forms required for the children to receive
health care treatment.
4. The parents will each provide the other parent with copies of any medical or
professional reports and records the parents have pertaining to the children. Either
parent may obtain reports directly from any professionals associated with the child. If
required by that professional, the parents will sign all necessary consents for the
other parent to receive such information.
5. Mother will arrange and attend medical and dental appointments with the children.
Daily Health Decisions
1. The resident parent will make day-to-day decisions. The resident parent will advise
the other of the diagnosis and treatment plan when a child is ill.
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2. Timely updates within 24 hours by e-mail or text will be provided by Mother
regarding the outcome of all medical or other healthcare appointments.
3. Mother will keep the children’s health cards and vaccination records, and will provide
Father with photocopies.
4. The original health card will accompany the Children when they travel outside the
City of Toronto.
Major Medical and Health
1. Every effort will be made to notify the other parent by email and telephone at the
time of an emergency visit by a child to a physician, specialist or hospital, as soon as
it is feasible to do so. Both parents will make emergency decisions together, unless,
after a concerted effort, one parent cannot be reached, in which case the present
parent may make emergency decisions in consultation with the medical
professionals.
2. Mother will notify Father of any potential major medical decisions, as well as provide
Father with the name and number of the attending health care professionals.
3. Together or separately, the parents may consult with the health care professionals.
The parents will use their best efforts to make mutually agreeable decisions in
consultation with the treating health care professionals. In the event the parents
cannot agree, Mother will make the final decision.
Religion
The children will be raised Catholic.
Education
1. The children will continue to attend George Frank Junior School.
2. The parents will each contact the school and provide their name and contact
information. The school will have the names and contact information for both parents
to call in case of an emergency. The parents will notify one another of any changes
to the contact information.
3. The parents may attend parent-teacher meetings together or separately.
4. School calendars are available from the school. Both parents have the right to make
inquiries and to be given information from the school about any issues arising with
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respect to the children’s education. Both parents will be entitled to receive directly
from the school, copies of report cards and any other documents. It is each parent’s
responsibility to stay up to date on any relevant educational matters (e.g.,
professional activity days, special events, field trips, concerts, parent-teacher
meetings, etc.). Each parent will make their own arrangements with the school
directly to receive all the notices, newsletters, report cards, etc.
5. Mother will notify Father of any potential major educational decisions (e.g., program,
school class placement, psycho-educational testing, remedial assistance,
enrichment, speech therapy, tutoring, etc.), and provide Father with the names and
numbers of the involved professionals. Together or separately, the parents will
consult with the educational professionals. The parents use their best efforts to
make mutually agreeable decisions in consultation with the professionals. In the
event the parents cannot agree, Mother will make the final decision.
TRAVEL
1. When a parent travels without the children, that parent will provide a reliable
telephone number to the resident parent in case of a child-related emergency or if
the children want to contact the traveling parent.
2. With notice in writing, the parents may travel with the children during their regular or
holiday scheduled time with them. Proposed travel that would involve changes to the
regular or holiday schedule requires the consent of the other parent.
3. The parents agree to sign a travel consent letter for the authorities and the parents
will each have a notarized copy of this letter. In addition, the parents will provide full
itinerary information (i.e., dates of departure and return, location, accommodation
name and address, flight or train number) to the other parent at least 30 days before
the departure.
4. The travelling parent will arrange for travel health insurance for the Children when
travelling outside of Canada.
5. Parent A will be the keeper of the Children’s Canadian passports and birth
certificates and will provide photocopies to Parent B. She will ensure the passports
are current and have at least six (6) months remaining in the expiry period. She will
obtain passports for the Children, without the signed consent of Parent B, and will
provide him with the passports to facilitate his travel with the children.
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RESIDENTIAL AND JURISDICTIONAL MOVES
1. A parent planning to move residences will give at least 60 days written notice to the
other parent prior to any residential move.
2. The parents agree that their two residences should be reasonably close to facilitate
effective implementation of the parenting arrangements. Neither parent will move
their permanent residence more than 15 km from the other parent’s current
residence without the other’s written consent or court order.
3. The parents agree that the Children will not be relocated outside the Greater Toronto
Area without the agreement of both parents or a Court Order.
NO CHANGE OF NAME
Neither parent will take any action to change the name of either child without the written
consent of the other parent.
FUTURE DISPUTE RESOLUTION
1. In the event of a dispute about our parenting plan that we are unable to resolve on
our own or with the assistance of lawyers, we agree to participate in mediation
before resorting to the court.
2. The mediator will be Fauzia Singh, and if she is unwilling or unable to serve, such
other mediator as agreed to by the parents.
3. The fees for the mediator will be shared equally.
EVIDENCE OF THE AGREEMENT OF THE PARENTS
The parents have each signed this Agreement at Toronto, Ontario on the 10
th
day of
January 2020 in the presence of a witness.
______________________________ ______________________________
June Flower (witness) Justin Jones
______________________________ ______________________________
Bill Barnes (witness) Sari Smith
