Family
Custody and Support
Parental Education Programs
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Arkansas state code, statute 9-12-322, gives the court the power to require parties involved in a divorce to attend at least two hours of parent education classes, in addition to ordering the parties to mediation and other programs.

Parties in a divorce action must attend a parent education class.
4th Judicial District (El Paso and Teller counties) parent education classes.

Delaware orders both parents to take a parent education class as a part of a preliminary injunction filed with both the petitioner and the respondent.

Parent Education and Family Stabilization Course Providers (by Circuit). Includes contact information, fees, and languages available. Florida Statute 61.21 and local administrative orders require the courses for divorcing parents. Links to certain online information from specific districts is provided below. Note that circuits not listed still require the program; they just do not have their information available online. Please refer to the provider link above for a full statewide overview of providers and contacts.

Thirteenth Judicial Circuit (Hillsborough), pursuant to Administrative Order S-2002-107, requires each party in a dissolution of marriage action or paternity action who is the natural or legal parent of any minor child whose custody or visitation is directly affected to attend and complete a court-approved parenting course before the final hearing. Proof of completion of this course must be filed with the court.

Fifteenth Judicial Circuit (Palm Beach County) Administrative Order No. 5.020-2/99 established the Parent Education and Family Stabilization Course.

Sixteenth Judicial Circuit (Key West/Monroe County) Administrative Order No. 5.013, am’d 03-1, approved Parent Education and Family Stabilization courses.

Seventeenth Judicial Circuit (Broward) Local Administrative Order NO.II-00-F-06, pursuant to the authority of Florida Statute 61.21, approves specific programs for the Parenting Course required for divorcing parties with minor children.

Cobb County Superior and Probate courts mandate participation in the Divorcing Parents Seminar. The courts also offer Focus on Forever: A Marital Workshop, designed for newly married and engaged couples. What About Me? is a voluntary program designed for children of divorcing parents.

Gwinnett County requires The Navigating Family Change: A Parent Seminar. Fee is $30. Site includes course description and registration process, plus contact information for Cobb, DeKalb, and Fulton counties and the Ninth Judicial District, and for a seminar offered in Spanish.

While Hawaii does not have a mandatory parent education program, they do offer free seminars on child custody, visitation, child support, alimony, property division, and mediation. See Divorce Law in Hawaii.

Third Judicial District (Gem, Canyon, and Owyhee counties) course description and Schedule for 2004 Divorcing Parent Class. Includes information about child development when parents live apart; mediation; sample parenting plan agreement; and recommended reading.

Fifth Judicial District (Blaine, Jerome, Minidoka, and Twin Falls) orders Parenting Apart classes for all parents who file for divorce, for modification of a parenting arrangement, or for a visitation order in a paternity case before action is taken on their petition. There are also "volunteer" participants who may be stepparents, grandparents, or previously divorced parents who wish to learn the skills taught in the classes.

Nineteenth Circuit (Lake County) Family Parenting Program. Course is designed for divorcing parents but open to all. There is a $35 fee; a waiver may be requested.

McHenry County’s Parents, Children, and Divorce (PCD) course is required for parents of children under 18 who have filed for divorce or are involved in post-judgment custody or visitation petitions within McHenry County. Cost is $60. Over 90 percent of those attending the program give it high ratings (“very good” or “outstanding”).

Hamilton County Circuit and Superior Courts offer a program for children of divorcing parents: Children Cope with Divorce.

Iowa law requires parties to any action involving custody or visitation issues to attend a court-approved course about the effects of divorce on children. Every judicial district has such a program. Parents must attend within 45 days of service of original notice or application for modification of an order. A final decree shall not be entered until parties comply (Iowa Code §598.19A). A fee is charged. Further information about the courses and contact information is available.

Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, has a program mandated by local rule. The program, “Voices for Children,” is a not-for-profit agency. The 3-hour course is mandated for any parents filing motions involving custody and/or visitation. Most judges in New Orleans also mandate participation, but that is discretionary (i.e., judges are not required to order attendance; however, if parents are ordered to attend by the judge, they must participate.) Executive Director is Babs Bryant: 504-299-0948.

Courts around the state offer Kids First; Parent Works; For Kids’ Sake; and Moving Forward. Registration forms are available online. Cost for most programs is $45 per individual, $70 for couples.

Requires mediation in contested domestic relations matters. Mediation is provided by Court Alternative Dispute Resolution Service.See the Maine Judicial Branch: Family Division Web Site.

Most Maryland counties have co-parenting classes. According to Md. Rule 9-204.1, courts may order parents in family law actions involving divorce, custody, visitation, or child support to attend. Some circuit courts require all parties in contested family cases to attend these programs. All separating parents are encouraged to attend, even if the case is not contested. Co-Parenting Education is explained on the Department of Family Administration site. A list of Family Support Services Coordinators and Family Division Administrators is available. Fee waivers for parents who are unable to pay the cost of the program are available.

Allegany County Circuit Court Family Court Services offers a bimonthly co-parenting seminar consisting of two, three-hour sessions.

Circuit Court for Anne Arundel County generally orders parents with children in common to attend a six-hour parent education program called the Family Law Orientation Workshop (F.L.O.W.).

Baltimore County offers Cooperative Co-Parenting for Healthy Children.
Circuit Court for Calvert County refers litigants to basic parenting classes at the Calvert County Health Department.

Family Services Program, Circuit Court for Caroline County, offers a co-parenting seminar called Healing Hearts.

Circuit Court for Carroll County. Parents litigating custody are usually ordered to the Co-Parenting Education Program.

Circuit Court for Cecil County offers a six-hour course: Parenting for Parents Living Apart.

Circuit Court for Dorchester County, orders parents to attend Healing Hearts where a contested answer has been filed and the minor children are under the age of 15. The fee is $40 per party.

Circuit Court for Frederick County, refers parents in contested custody/visitation to seminars for separated, divorced, and never-married parents. The fee is $100 per party. The private providers have been certified to teach the course.

Circuit Court for Harford County offers Successful Parenting When Families Live Apart and Parenting Solutions for High Conflict Families. A group for children coping with parents who live apart is also available.

Circuit Court for Kent County, offers the Healing Hearts program. Programs for children are also available.

Montgomery Circuit Court Co-Parenting Skills Enhancement Program (P.E.A.C.E.). Parents may be ordered by the court to attend.

Queen Anne’s County offers the Healing Hearts program at $30 per person, $35for out-of-county residents.

Somerset County Circuit Court offers Co-parenting Education Classes. Cost is $25 per six-hour seminar per person.

Talbot County Circuit Court, in family law actions involving divorce, custody, visitation, or child support, may order the parties to attend an educational seminar. The county offers the Healing Hearts program. Cost is $40 per person.

Washington County Circuit Court began ordering parents to educational programs in fiscal year 2001. Cost is $100 per parent.

Wicomico County Circuit Court may order litigants to the Co-parenting Seminar offered by the Center for Conflict Resolution at Salisbury State University. Mediation services are ordered for parents litigating custody and visitation.

Probate and family court has established parent education programs in all its divisions, with the exception of the Nantucket division. Attendance and participation at an approved parent education program by all parties to a divorce action in which there are minor children is mandated. A judge may also require the parties in a paternity, modification, or contempt action to attend the program. A list of court-approved providers is available. There are 69 approved programs in the state offering services in 56 locations. The program is offered in Spanish in two locations.

Massachusetts Trial Court, Plymouth County Probate and Family Court Standing Order 1-03, eff. August 1, 2003, regarding parent education program attendance.

Suffolk County Probate and Family Court Parent Education Program. Fee is $65 per party; reduced fees available in some cases.

The Minnesota state legislature requires all parents filing for divorce/dissolution to attend an educational program.

Fourth Judicial District Court (Hennepin County) Parental and Child Educational Requirements for Divorce. Parties who have reached a custody and visitation agreement (uncontested) need only attend one of three different classes: Hennepin County Education Video (1.5 hours; free); Storefront Youth Action’s Co-Parenting Program (4 hours; $55 per person); Chrysalis Shared Parenting (4 hours; $65 per person). Parties in contested cases must attend a combination of three classes. Two are mandatory: Hennepin County Education Video with Mediation (3.5 hours; free) and Legal and Economic Aspects of Divorce (L.E.A.D.) (1.5 hours; $20 per person). Parents in contested cases must also attend one of the following: Storefront Co-parenting Program or Chrysalis Shared Parenting. There is also an educational requirement for children ages 6 to 17. Children must attend one of the following: Storefront Group Co-kids Program (ages 9-17; $35 per person) or Chrysalis Sandcastles Program (ages 6-17; $45 per person).

Sixty counties in the state use the Parents Forever™ program. The site includes a course schedule for each county; overview of the program; and parenting education resources, including some that may be ordered in English, Spanish, Hmong, and Somali. There is also a section for information for professionals, including how to start a Parents Forever™ program; and information about online training for professionals.

By statute, parents involved in dissolution, separation, or custody proceedings are required (with some exceptions) to attend parent education.

Seventh Judicial Circuit Court (Clay County) provides information about parenting skills via the Family Court Services site. Includes online resources, counseling resources and contacts, and brief bibliography.

The Thirteenth Judicial Circuit (Boone and Calloway Counties) "Focus on Kids" program consists of a partnership of the University of Missouri Department of Human Development and Family Studies, University of Missouri Extension, and the court. Thirty other counties also use the program via the University of Missouri Extension.   

Sixteenth Judicial Circuit Court (Jackson County) Family Court Services offers Parenting Together, Living Apart (PTLA). Participation in the program can be ordered or suggested by the court, initiated by a referral from an attorney or social service agency, or initiated by the parties. There is no fee to attend the three-hour program. Focus on Children in Separation (FOCIS) is a course for parents and their 5-to-17-year-old children with custody/visitation issues. Participants attend two two-hour sessions. Access to service is court-ordered. Parties must attend within 45 days of filing petition or motion. Cost is $30 per parent; children are free. Refocus on Children in Separation (RE-FOCIS) is a two-hour refresher for parents who have filed motions to modify previous divorce orders to contest custody, visitation, or both. Cost is $10 per parent.

Montana Code 40-4-226 mandates that courts shall inform parties involved in divorce proceedings in which a child is involved of available parent education programs, and if the court deems it appropriate, order parents to participate in any such program.

The Children First Program has been adopted by all ten counties in New Hampshire to increase parental understanding of what effects divorce has on children. Parents must complete the program before a divorce can be granted.

Courts in New Jersey are mandated to provide parent education programs pursuant to the Parent’s Education Act, N.J.S.A.2A:34-12.1 – 2A:34-12.8 (1999).

Cumberland County Family Court includes a message from Hon. Joseph P. Testa regarding the Kids Count program.

Superior Court of New Jersey Essex Vicinage Family Court Parent Education Program. Designed for non-dissolution litigants seeking custody, shared parenting time, and child support. Level I is a voluntary 90-minute seminar. Level II is a six-week workshop. Participants in Level II are self-referred but may also be referred by a mediator, probation officer, or judge, or ordered to attend by a judge. The Parent Education Program for Divorcing Parents is mandatory.

Morris/Sussex Vicinage Family Division offers a Parent Education Workshop administered by the family court mediator. Fee is $25. The program is mandated by the Passaic County Family Court and provides a Parent Education Program for all parties going through a divorce who have minor children.

Passaic County Family Court offers a Parent Education Program and Kids Count for children whose parents are divorcing.

Ohio Task Force on Family Law and Children. Family Law Reform: Minimizing Conflict, Maximizing Families. Columbus: Ohio Task Force on Family Law and Children, 2001.

Butler County Court of Common Pleas, Division of Domestic Relations: All persons with children who seek divorce or dissolution of marriage in Butler County are required to participate in the four-hour Helping Children Succeed After Divorce program presented by the Center for Forensic Psychiatry.  

Clermont County Domestic Relations Court offers Kids In Divorce Situations (K.I.D.S.) to children and parents.  Helping Children Cope with Divorce is required for parents getting a divorce in Clermont County.

Erie County Court of Common Pleas Custody, Mediation, Investigation, and Parent Education Programs. In 1995 a mandatory two-hour parent education program, Children and Divorce: A Seminar for Parents, was implemented for all divorce and dissolution filings involving minor children.

Mahoning County Domestic Relations Court offers For Our Children, a free but mandatory program for children ages 8 to 12 whose parents are divorcing. The program complements the Parents Workshop, which, by local rule of the Mahoning County Court of Common Pleas, Division of Domestic Relations, all parents with minor children who are parties to a divorce, dissolution, or legal separation action must attend before their final hearing.

Compilation of Parent and Child Divorce Education Programs in Oregon (as of 01/16/08) includes whether program is mandatory or voluntary; fees and funding; contacts; curriculum; and number of participants per month, all by judicial district. A list of court-approved parent education classes by county is also available.

Clackamas County Family Court Services Parent Education Program (court-approved program). All parties to an annulment, dissolution, separation, custody or visitation action, or post-decree litigation involving custody or visitation, where the interest of a child under the age of 18 is involved, are required to attend. See ORS 3.425 and SLR 8.015.

The Third Judicial District requires parents appearing in cases involving custody and/or parenting time (visitation) of minor children to attend Helping Children Cope with Their Parent’s Divorce or Separation. Cost is $50. Registration forms and brochures are available in English and Spanish.

Northampton County Court of Common Pleas Co-parenting Education Program. The 90-minute program is sustained by a $15 fee paid by participants.

Galveston County For Kids Sake program. Site includes application, locations, and schedule.

Travis County offers the Moving Through five-hour workshop to parents in the process of divorce or other conflicts that affect children after a breakup ($25). Cooperative Parenting Classes offer six topics presented in 90-minute courses ($60). The Start Making It Livable for Everyone (S.M.I.L.E.) handbook is available online.

The Children in the Middle Class is a co-parenting education (family stabilization) class approved by the courts and offered in Grand Prairie, Dallas and Fort Worth.

Utah requires all parents filing for a divorce who have biological children under the age of 18 to attend the Divorce Education for Parents program. Fee is $35 per parent. Site includes goals, registration information, and instructor information.

Together with the University of Vermont Extension, the Vermont Family Court offers Coping with Separation and Divorce: A Parenting Seminar. The court requires the four-hour seminar for divorcing and separating parents.  

Pierce County Superior Court bases its mandatory requirement on the best interests of the child. The requirement of the parenting seminar applies to parties in all cases filed after September 1, 2000, under Ch. 26.09, Ch. 26.10, or Ch. 26.26 RCW, which require a parenting plan or residential schedule for minor children, including dissolutions, legal separations, major modifications, paternity actions in which paternity has been established, and nonparental custody cases. Several approved seminars are available: Impact on Children and others.

Snohomish County Superior Court bases its rule on the same best-interests standard. The court requires For Kids Sake: A Parenting Seminar. Both parents are required to attend. A parent who fails to attend in the first 60 days is precluded from thereafter seeking temporary orders and cannot ask for a trial date. However, a parent who does comply may proceed in court regardless of the compliance of the other parent. A fee schedule applies.

Dane County Parent Education Program. Program must be attended before parents attend mandatory mediation session. Site links to staff and family court counseling service page.

Green County Family Court (Monroe) offers cooperative parenting classes: Keeping Your Kids Out of the Middle. By statute, Wisconsin Family Courts may establish education programs to help parents understand the effects of divorce on their children. As part of any action affecting the family in which there are issues surrounding the children, the family court commissioner will refer parties to the classes. Parties are also referred to mediation. The cost is $45 per person ($55 if late).