Wholeness Healing Center

Co-Parenting for Successful Kids Course

The Co-Parenting for Successful Kids Course is offered by Michele Taylor, LMHP and is a research-based educational course mandated by the state of Nebraska, derived from the Nebraska Parenting Act, to aid parents who are divorcing, separating or struggling with custody issues. This Nebraska mandated course offers parents the opportunity to educate themselves on how to keep their children safe, out of adult conflict and better adjust to the changes and challenges that come with divorce, separation and custody battles. Throughout the three hour course parents will have the opportunity to learn:

• Potential impact of the court action upon children
• Identify ways to appropriately address parenting functions and identify personal parenting styles and the impact this has upon children
• Identify the developmental ages and stages of children and how the separation, divorce or custody battle effects children at each age and stage
• Ways to support children’s adjustment to parental separation, divorce and custody battles
• Identify the elements of Nebraska’s Parenting Plan and develop your own parallel parenting plan
• Learn about alternative dispute resolution, conflict management, stress reduction, emotional management, appropriate language usage and positive communication skills
• Identify provisions for safety and transition plans under the Nebraska Parenting Act
• Identify attributes of child abuse, neglect, domestic violence, unresolved parental conflict and how this impacts children and other family members
• Identify current parenting roles and gain skills to improve these roles
• Exploration of the grief/loss cycle as a parent and identify where your children are in this cycle and how to help them through this cycle
• Gain techniques for effective and purposeful communication between yourself and the other parent and yourself and your children
• Build skills to aid children in managing the emotions and challenges of acquiring a step-parent

The goal of the Co-Parenting for Successful Kids Course is to develop respectful, responsive and responsible co-parents through a parallel-parenting model.

A second level Co-Parenting for Successful Kids Course if also offered for those parents who struggle with domestic violence, sexual assault or any form of abuse between parents. Parents must complete level one prior to completing level two. The three hour level two course focuses on safety of both parents and children. Topics of the second level course include but are not limited to:

• Identifying the “how” and “why” to develop provisions for safety and transition   plans
• Identify the potential harmful impact of domestic violence, intimate partner abuse and unresolved parental conflict on the child
• Learn effective communication techniques and protocols
• Become aware of resources and referral information for victim, perpetrator and batterer services for both adults and children
• Further exploration and skill building for managing emotions and stress
• Skill building for dealing with trauma as adults and for your children

Michele Taylor, LMHP has been facilitating both Level I and Level II Co-Parenting for Successful Kids Courses for seven years. Michele utilizes the Nebraska developed curriculum and is certified to facilitate the class through the Supreme Court of Nebraska Administrative Office of the Courts and Probation.

It is recommended that parents attend the course together if it is safe to do so. This ensures that both parents hear the same information at the same time and can work together to develop their parallel parenting plan with the aid of the instructor. The cost of the course is $50.00 per person. For more information on the Co-Parenting for Successful Kids Course I or II please contact Wholeness Healing Center at 308-382-5297.

Tags: Co-Parenting Course, divorcing parents