Parenting Plans for Parents Who Work Shift Work

 Posted on February 26, 2025 in Child Custody

Under Senate Bill 3207, Illinois daycare centers are now allowed to operate for 24 hours and provide care for a child for up to 12 hours. This can significantly benefit parents whose jobs require shift work. A study done years ago (2007) in Illinois found that 42 percent of parents across the state work non-traditional hours. It is likely that this percentage is still true today, making flexible daycare essential.

In families where one or both parents work non-traditional hours, they usually find solutions to childcare. These solutions can include different work shifts for the parents, paid daycare facilities, or family members who can help them manage their work hours and children. What may have been manageable when a couple worked together to make it manageable can be much less so after a divorce when making a parenting plan.

If you are contemplating divorce and expect the allocation of parental responsibilities and parenting time to be a difficult issue because of your work schedule, it can be beneficial to speak to an experienced Will County, IL family law attorney. Your attorney can help you work out a parenting plan for non-traditional work schedules.

Presenting the Court with a Non-Traditional Parenting Plan

The court's biggest concern in matters related to parenting time and a parenting plan is whether the child's best interests are being met. It is important to present the court with a well-prepared case that demonstrates exactly how the proposed schedule will accommodate parental work schedules and speak to the child’s well-being and stability. A proposed parenting plan should also demonstrate the parent’s commitment to being an active, involved parent.

The first step in the process is for the parent to evaluate his or her work schedule and then prepare a detailed breakdown of work hours. If the job offers any type of flexibility with work hours, this should be noted, along with shift patterns and normal days off. A work schedule that has some type of consistency can facilitate regular parenting time more easily than a work schedule that changes often. In other words, if you work three days on and two days off, then parenting time can be worked into those two days off fairly easily.  

The age of the children will also factor in a parenting plan that includes a non-traditional work schedule. Younger children usually have more stable schedules because they are not yet involved in athletics or other extracurricular activities. A letter from an employer detailing the parent’s work schedule, shift patterns, and any flexibility should be included with the parenting plan, along with the child’s school schedule and any other commitments. A visual calendar that illustrates proposed visitation schedules can help the court see that the schedule is workable and in the child’s best interests.   

 What if the Court Has Concerns?

If the court – or the other parent – has concerns about a parent’s work schedule, it can help to include reliable childcare solutions both for normal work times as well as for any unexpected changes to a work schedule. Including in the parenting plan how these changes will be communicated to the other parent is also extremely important. Many parents include a "right of first refusal" in the parenting plan. This means that if the parent who is supposed to have parenting time has to work, is sick, or has any type of emergency, he or she will contact the other parent first to see if that parent wants to have the time with the child before resorting to other types of childcare.

Contact a DuPage County, IL Parenting Plan Lawyer

Making determinations regarding parenting time and creating a detailed, workable parenting plan can feel overwhelming when the parents have different work schedules or non-traditional work schedules. However, it can be done with the help of a skilled Naperville, IL parenting plan attorney from Law Office of Ronald L. Hendrix, P.C.. Attorney Hendrix holds a master’s degree in guidance and counseling in addition to his law degree and is a court-appointed mediator. To schedule a free consultation, call 630-355-7776 today.