As more people such as family, friends, attorneys, social workers and other professionals become involved in the process anger, bitterness and frustration affect the parents. A custody evaluation or home study is often helpful in protecting these children, by identifying the strengths and weaknesses of each parent, and suggesting ways in which the child's needs might best be served. Custody evaluations include an investigation of the social, parental, educational, and health aspects of the parent-child interactions. Custody evaluations and home studies include a environmental study of the children and their primary caretakers, The findings of the custody evaluation are typically prepared for use in custody and visitation mediation by other professionals or in court. There are many components of a custody evaluation that are used to gather information, gauge parental abilities, and define issues that directly affect the well being of the child.
Outline Elicits extensive portrait of a parent's knowledge and understanding of a specific child.
Doctor s Questionnaire Provides a basis of understanding of the parents involvement in the child s health history. Corroborative Interview used to collect valuable data to evaluate data contained in the Parent Understanding of Child Outline. Mental Health Evaluation Testing to determine the stability of the parents, dynamics of relationships, and the emotional status of the parties. An observation of the interaction between parent and child. Many of these components are used to prepare a custody evaluation.