ABSTRACT

The rate of divorce cases has projected an increasing number in recent years. In these cases, if couples have children and are demanding a divorce, a settlement should be done about which parent should have the custody of the children. A parent ought to carry out his/her parenting responsibilities so that the children would complete their developmental process in a healthy and sufficient environment. The level of fulfillment of parenting skills in long term “good enough” by parents is called parenthood capacity. One of the most important points to take into consideration while deciding on a custodian is the assessment of parenthood capacity. For an accurate assessment, judge might consult a referee. The aim here is to assist the judge to reach a verdict on custody assessing the reports run by the referee. This assessment demonstrates parents’ current situation rather than their eligibility to be custodian. Since parenthood assessment, regarding protection of child, is used during judicial process, it is a different notion from clinical examination of parents or parenthood education. There are various assessment tools on parenthood which are actively used by professionals in the literature. These tools might slightly differ from each other. It is usually under the initiative of referee to choose the right tool for an assessment. However, it is essential to pay regard to the social norms of that particular society while choosing an assessment tool. This article will discuss the possible objective standards to use for assessing parenthood capacity. The features of two tools, which are claimed to be feasible for use in an assessment (Parenting Skils Assessment-10; Parenting Competence 3), will be studied.

Keywords: Parenting Capacity, Custody