As family structures are becoming diverse across Europe, understanding how separated parents manage childcare is essential for supporting children's well-being. However, little is known about how physical custody arrangements relate to childcare arrangements. Informed by the triple bind framework, this study examined the relationship between custody arrangement and children's use of formal (e.g. preschool) and informal (e.g. family) care. We analyzed data from the European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC) survey. We included cross-sectional data collected in 2021 from separated parents of children ages 12 and younger living in 12 countries (N = 3786). Children with joint physical custody (JPC) had a higher probability of using formal care than children with sole physical custody (SPC) net of socioeconomic controls and country-level characteristics. Advantage in terms of employment, income, and country regime supporting dual-earner policies promoted formal care use. Physical custody arrangement typically was not related to informal care use. The use of informal care does not seem to be compensating for children in SPC's lower representation in formal care. Increasing access to formal care through universal programmes could provide a mechanism to promote child health and development.