Parenting stress is associated with many negative outcomes for parents and their children. Couples who receive child welfare services possess an increased risk for experiencing parenting stress due to the strain on their limited resources. A supportive coparenting relationship and parenting self-efficacy can affect perceptions of parenting stress. Data was collected from a racially diverse, at-risk sample of 247 heterosexual couples who were receiving child welfare services. Using an actor partner interdependence model, findings from the current study reinforce that when parents receive coparenting support, they are more likely to report less parenting stress. Further, this association is mediated by their parenting self-efficacy. These direct and indirect actor effects were found for both mothers and fathers, however no significant direct or indirect partner effects were found. Findings imply that parenting self-efficacy may be a mediating mechanism through which a supportive coparenting relationship can reduce the parenting stress for at-risk couples.
