By Dr. David Lombard, PhD, Licensed Psychologist. More than 30 years of clinical and forensic practice. Member, American Psychological Association, American Psychology-Law Society, and Association of Family and Conciliation Courts.
When a court or an attorney asks whether a parent can safely and adequately care for a child, the question deserves more than an impression formed in a hallway or a courtroom. It deserves a careful, structured look at what that parent actually knows, does, and is able to do for this particular child.
That is the purpose of a parenting fitness evaluation. This article explains what the evaluation is, when Indiana courts and attorneys tend to request one, what it measures, and what a sound evaluation should never try to do.
A Focused Question About One Parent
A parenting fitness evaluation is a forensic psychological assessment of one parent's capacity to meet a child's needs. In the professional literature, the terms parenting fitness, parenting competence, and parenting capacity are often used interchangeably to describe a judgment about a parent's basic caregiving abilities (Budd, 2001).
It is narrower than a Parenting Plan Evaluation. In 2022 the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts replaced the older phrase "child custody evaluation" with "parenting plan evaluation," moving the field away from the language of possession and toward the child's needs (AFCC Task Force). A Parenting Plan Evaluation typically examines the whole family system and helps the court shape decision-making and parenting time. A fitness evaluation asks a more focused question: can this parent provide adequate, safe care, and if not, what would need to change?
| Feature | Parenting Fitness Evaluation | Parenting Plan Evaluation |
|---|---|---|
| Central question | Is this parent able to meet this child's needs safely? | What parenting arrangement best serves this child? |
| Who is evaluated | Usually one parent (sometimes each parent separately) | Both parents, the child, and often other caregivers |
| Typical setting | Contested custody concerns, modification, child protection matters | Divorce, paternity, and custody disputes |
| Typical scope | Focused and shorter | Comprehensive and longer |
When Indiana Courts and Attorneys Request One
Indiana courts decide custody according to the best interests of the child, with no presumption favoring either parent. Among the factors the court must consider are the mental and physical health of all individuals involved and any evidence of a pattern of domestic or family violence (Ind. Code § 31-17-2-8). When one of those factors is genuinely in dispute, a fitness evaluation gives the court reliable information instead of competing accusations.
Common referral situations include:
A parent's mental health condition is raised as a concern, and the court needs to know how (or whether) it affects parenting.
Substance use, past or present, is alleged and its current impact is unclear.
Allegations of family violence, neglect, or unsafe supervision are contested.
A parent is seeking to resume or expand parenting time after a period of absence, incarceration, or treatment.
A party seeks modification, which in Indiana requires a substantial change in one or more of the best-interest factors (Ind. Code § 31-17-2-21).
A child protection matter asks whether a parent can safely resume care, where the APA's child protection guidelines direct attention to parenting capacity and the link between a parent's actions and any risk of harm to the child (APA, 2024).
Indiana law also allows a court-ordered custody investigator to refer a child to professional personnel for diagnosis, and it gives every party the right to review the underlying data and cross-examine the investigator and those consulted (Ind. Code § 31-17-2-12). A well-documented evaluation is written with that scrutiny in mind from the first page.
What the Evaluation Actually Measures
A sound fitness evaluation is functional. It asks what the parent understands, believes, knows, does, and is able to do in everyday caregiving, rather than offering a general personality sketch (Budd, 2005). The APA's custody guidelines make the same point: the work should focus on parenting attributes and the child's psychological needs, because that is what the court will draw on (APA Guidelines for Child Custody Evaluations).
In practice, my evaluations gather information from several independent sources, so that no single interview or test carries the conclusion:
Clinical interviews with the parent, covering history, daily routines, understanding of the child's development, and the concerns that prompted the referral.
Standardized psychological testing, selected for the specific referral question and interpreted in light of the parenting role, not in isolation.
Parent-child observation, because how a parent actually responds to a child often tells more than any self-report.
Collateral information, such as school, medical, treatment, and DCS records, along with contacts who know the family.
Integration, where every opinion in the report is tied back to the data that supports it and to the child's needs.
The result is not a label. It is a clear description of strengths, risks, and, where relevant, what support or services might help a parent meet the standard the court is applying.
What a Good Evaluation Does Not Do
Knowing the limits of the work matters as much as knowing its scope. A parenting fitness evaluation:
Does not decide the case. Under Indiana law, the court determines custody (Ind. Code § 31-17-2-8). The evaluator's role is to inform that decision with reliable data.
Does not advocate. Whether retained by one party or appointed by the court, the evaluator owes impartiality to the process, consistent with the APA Specialty Guidelines for Forensic Psychology.
Does not treat a diagnosis as a verdict. Many parents live well with a mental health condition. The question is always how a condition, if present, affects this parent's care of this child.
Does not substitute for therapy. The evaluator is not the parent's counselor, and the evaluation is not confidential in the way therapy is.
Research on parenting assessments in child welfare has found recurring weaknesses: vague referral questions, a single office visit with no observation of parent and child, and conclusions that reach beyond the data (NSW Judicial Commission summary of Budd). Attorneys and judges are right to expect better, and a careful evaluator welcomes that expectation.
A Closing Reflection
Parents who sit across from me in a fitness evaluation are often frightened. Many are carrying a hard season, and some are fighting to show they have come through it. I have learned over three decades that every parent deserves to be seen accurately, neither condemned by their worst moment nor excused from the work their child needs them to do. Careful evaluation is one way of honoring both the parent and the child.
If you are an attorney, guardian ad litem, or judicial officer in northeast Indiana weighing whether a parenting fitness evaluation fits your case, I am glad to talk through the referral question before anything is ordered. You can learn more about my Parenting Plan, Parenting Time, and Parenting Fitness Evaluations or contact my office directly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can request a parenting fitness evaluation? A judge may order one, and attorneys for either party, guardians ad litem, or DCS may request or recommend one. Many evaluations are court-ordered; others are retained by counsel, with the evaluator still bound to impartiality.
How is it different from a Parenting Plan Evaluation? A fitness evaluation focuses on one parent's capacity to provide safe, adequate care. A Parenting Plan Evaluation looks at the whole family to help the court shape decision-making and parenting time.
Will a mental health diagnosis automatically count against a parent? No. Indiana courts consider the mental and physical health of everyone involved, but the evaluation asks how any condition affects the care of this specific child (Ind. Code § 31-17-2-8).
How long does an evaluation take? Timelines depend on the referral question, scheduling, and how quickly records arrive. A fitness evaluation is generally shorter than a full Parenting Plan Evaluation; I give attorneys an estimated timeline at the outset.
Is what a parent says during the evaluation confidential? No. Unlike therapy, a forensic evaluation is prepared for the court, and Indiana law allows parties to review the underlying data in custody investigations (Ind. Code § 31-17-2-12). Parents are informed of these limits before the evaluation begins.
How should a parent prepare? Honestly. Bring requested records, keep appointments, and answer questions openly. The most helpful thing a parent can do is show, in ordinary ways, how they care for their child.
References
American Psychological Association. (2022). Guidelines for child custody evaluations in family law proceedings. apa.org/practice/guidelines/child-custody (2022 PDF: apa.org/about/policy/child-custody-evaluations.pdf)
American Psychological Association. (2024). Guidelines for psychological evaluations in child protection matters. apa.org/about/policy/psychological-evaluations-child-protection-matters
American Psychological Association. (2013). Specialty guidelines for forensic psychology. apa.org/practice/guidelines/forensic-psychology
Association of Family and Conciliation Courts. (2022). Guidelines for parenting plan evaluations in family law cases. afccnet.org (PDF); background on the terminology change: AFCC Task Force page
Budd, K. S. (2001). Assessing parenting competence in child protection cases: A clinical practice model. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 4(1), 1 to 18. doi.org/10.1023/A:1009548509598
Budd, K. S. (2005). Assessing parenting capacity in a child welfare context. Children and Youth Services Review, 27(4), 429 to 444. ideas.repec.org record; bench summary: Judicial Commission of New South Wales
Indiana Code § 31-17-2-8, Custody order (best-interest factors). Justia
Indiana Code § 31-17-2-12, Investigation and report concerning custodial arrangements. Justia
Indiana Code § 31-17-2-21, Modification of child custody order. Justia