In an effort to take positive steps toward coping with problems for families and children created by high levels of separation and divorce, ever increasing civil caseloads and the exposure of children to interparental conflict, court-affiliated educational programs have emerged in the United States for parents separating from their spouse or partner or going through a divorce. This article will provide an overview of the creation of such programs and their development, which includes a discussion regarding the numerous states currently mandating parents to attend. It will summarize some of the research which has been conducted as to the efficacy of the programs and will provide the results of our nationwide research for each state's parent education status. There is a discussion of domestic violence issues and sensitivities in the context of parent education programs and possible future directions for mandatory parent education.
This article surveys programs for children of separation and divorce throughout the United States. It provides an overview of their development and discusses some of the research which has been performed to measure the efficacy of them. It focuses on some specific programs, and it provides information about the types of programs which are available in each state. Finally, it provides insights into the next steps for such efforts.
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