Parental Fitness

Parental fitness evaluations may be ordered by the Family Court in divorce or custody proceedings. Parental fitness evaluations are recommended above other Family Court evaluations when one or both parents is alleged to have abused or neglected the children, or when the court questions the parenting capabilities of either parent. More than simply a traditional psychological evaluation, a competent parental fitness evaluation should consider collateral sources of information and the extent to which they confirm or disconfirm evaluee self-report. It should include measures targeted at problematic areas of parent-child interaction. Direct observation of parent-child interactions is often desirable, though not always possible. Collateral sources may also be utilized at times to assess the apparent quality of parent-child attachment. These evaluations focus upon parenting strengths and deficiencies, their causes, appropriate interventions, and the likelihood that the problems can be corrected. When more than one parent is assessed, caregiver comparisons can be offered.