1998 Nationwide Survey of Court‐connected Divorce Education Programs

Abstract

This second nationwide survey of 3,118 counties and independent cities indicates that 1,516 counties or cities in the United States currently have education programs available for divorcing parents. This is in contrast to results from a 1993–1994 study in which 541 counties had programs available, and is an increase of 180%. Comparisons are made between programs that are mandated and not mandated by the court or state and between court‐provided and community‐provided programs. Curriculum, format, funding, and evaluation efforts of programs are summarized. A typical program is described, and implications of the findings for program developers and court systems are included.

Parents Forever: An Assessment of the Perceived Value of a Brief Divorce Education Program

“…Such perceptions by community professionals enhance the base of community support for the program and the likelihood of receiving the funding, referrals, and public support that are important to sustainability efforts (Hughes & Kirby, 2000). Despite the surge of programs for families in divorce transition over the last decade, many areas in the United States and internationally still have no to very limited programs or support services available in this area (Clement, 1999;Geasler & Blaisure, 1999). In such locales, establishing community credibility and stakeholder support is a vital first step to providing a foundation of sustainability and support for programs in their infancy.…”

“…Nationwide surveys indicate that the majority of counties across the United States now provide some type of divorce education or support program (Geasler & Blaisure, 1999). Additionally, many states have adopted legislative statutes that mandate education for divorcing parents in a variety of circumstances (Clement, 1999;Whitworth et al, 2002).…”

Parents Forever: Evaluation of an Online Divorce Education Program

“…Briefer programs were Level 1, longer programs were Level 2, and more specific and targeted programs were Level 3. The more predominant model of divorce education is a Level 1 program (Geasler & Blaisure, 1999;Pollet & Lombreglia, 2008) and there continues to be a push for evidence supporting briefer programming (e.g., Brandon, 2006). Briefer programs require less investment of resources and demand less from already stressed parents.…”

“…One of the primary methods of intervening with divorcing parents is divorce education. Programs vary in content and dosage, but generally focus on how divorce affects children and how parents can reduce their conflict to promote better outcomes (Geasler & Blaisure, 1999). Starting in the mid-1990s, states started to implement this public health approach to divorce, and as of 2008, 46 states offered court-connected divorce education programs and 27 states mandated attendance for parents under certain conditions (Pollet & Lombreglia, 2008).…”

Love during divorce : development of the Sorokin Psycho-Social Love Inventory (SPSLI) and testing of a predictor model.

“…The majority of the programs are psycho-education classes that range from short videotape discussion to 6-hour seminars (Olphant, Brown, Cambron, & Yankeelov, 2002). Most courts now require these programs on parenting after divorce (Geasler & Blaisure, 1999). The focus of the programs being offered is on parental skill training.…”