Home » » » Shared care arrangements and parental wellbeing in Aotearoa New Zealand

Shared care arrangements and parental wellbeing in Aotearoa New Zealand

Shared care arrangements and parental wellbeing in Aotearoa New Zealand ()

Published: 2026

Author: Kate Prickett

Across two households,

When support is thinly shared,

Stress settles at home

Shared care, shared burdens: in-kind support and parental wellbeing in Aotearoa New Zealand

When couples separate, shared care arrangements are typically measured by how parenting time is divided — but the sharing of resources, tasks, and informal support matters too.

This study examines how in-kind support within shared care arrangements shapes parental anxiety and depressive symptoms, drawing on nationally representative data from low-to-middle income families.

DOI - 10.29310/WP.2026.06

Citation

Prickett, Kate. 2026. Shared care arrangements and parental wellbeing in Aotearoa New Zealand. Motu Working Paper 26-06. Motu Economic and Public Policy Research. Wellington, New Zealand.

Shared care arrangements and parental wellbeing in Aotearoa New Zealand ()