International Coparenting Collaborative

International Coparenting Collaborative

The International Coparenting Collaborative (ICC) is an international initiative that brings together clinicians, researchers, and infant-family mental health professionals committed to advancing coparenting and family relationships as key resources for infant and early childhood mental health.

ICC was launched in Lausanne, Switzerland, in March 2022 by a group of experts from Switzerland, Israel, Italy, Sweden, Canada, Turkey, and the United States, all of whom brought extensive expertise in coparenting, triangular family processes, and the use of the Lausanne Trilogue Play (LTP; Fivaz-Depeursinge & Corboz-Warnery, 1999). Building on decades of clinical and empirical research, the ICC developed a research- and theory-informed framework for engaging coparents in infant mental health services. While infant mental health practice has customarily focused on dyadic relationships, particularly the mother–child relationship, ICC advocates a broader family systems approach.

Without prescribing specific therapeutic interventions, the ICC framework guides clinicians to address the family as a relational system and to underscore the important roles played by its multiple caregivers and family members as they coordinate to support each child's development and well-being. The framework offers practical guidance and assessment tools clinicians can use to elevate awareness of coparenting dynamics and family functioning during clinical encounters. As part of the founding initiative, Swedish, French, and Italian versions of the framework were developed to support its dissemination across different linguistic and cultural context.

Over time, ICC has expanded beyond its original founding sites. The framework has since been translated into Spanish and Hebrew, further facilitating its implementation across diverse cultural contexts. The ICC has also grown, adding new participating sites in Europe, North America and South America. Today, ICC aspires to foster international collaboration in clinical practice, training, and assessment with the goal of promoting healthier family relationships and better developmental outcomes for infants and young children worldwide.