Parents Forever is an educational program for families experiencing divorce, separation, or a change in custody. You will receive a certificate of completion after completing your course. This certificate is what you need to show your judge, court personnel, or attorney if the course was court-ordered.
What will you learn?
After completing a Parents Forever course, you will be able to:
- Describe the family transition journey and how each family member will be affected.
- Recognize the role of self-care, parent-child relationships, and co-parenting in child well-being.
- Identify internal and external resources and strategize how to leverage these resources to promote resilience for all involved.
Take a Parents Forever course
The Purdue Parents Forever 4-hour course is offered in partnership with Purdue University Extension.
Please note: This version does not meet the minimum standards for those going through the Minnesota court system. The course will take approximately 4 hours to complete.
If the course has been required, get judge/attorney pre-approval.
Even though most parents have had no difficulty getting the course accepted, we still recommend that you check that your judge/attorney will accept the online version of the course (before registering) if it has been required.
You will receive a certificate of completion after completing your course. This certificate is what you need to show your judge, court personnel, or attorney if the course was court-ordered.
Cost
$50 You will receive access to an online version of the parent handbooks and more as part of your registration fee.
Registration
You will register through the University of Minnesota online registration system. This system uses pop-ups.
Follow the instructions and provide the required information. This registration system will:
- Guide you to "create a new guest account" to use for the course. If you have a University of Minnesota x500 internet ID/password, you will skip this step.
- Collect basic information about you, needed by the course instructor.
- The cost for this course is $50 (Required as a credit card payment). You will receive access to online versions of the Parents Forever Parent Handbook and more as part of your registration fee.
- Give you the link to immediately access the online course.
After you register, you will gain immediate access to the course. You can access the online course anytime and complete it within the given time allotment.
Frequently asked questions about Parents Forever
Answers to the most common questions for parents in Indiana looking to take a Parents Forever Online course.
No, you do not need to complete the course all at once. It is entirely self-paced and you can complete as much or as little as your schedule allows.
The time spent on the course will vary by individual. Plan on spending at least 4.5 hours in the course.
No, this court will not meet Minnesota requirements. The Minnesota Supreme Court requires at least 8 hours of education and coverage of the Mandatory curriculum topics for parent education to meet divorce education requirements. This course does not meet either requirements. The 8-hour Parents Forever Online Course for Parents is better suited for parents working through the Minnesota court system.
This course does not meet Minnesota Supreme Court standards. In Minnesota, you should register for the Parents Forever Online Course for Parents instead of this course.
University of Minnesota Extension has partnered with Purdue University Extension to offer this 4-hour version of the course. Parents Forever Online Course meets the recommendations being asked of parents by Indiana courts. That being said, it is still recommended that you get the course approved by your judge/attorney before registering.
Likewise, if you are in a state other than Minnesota or Indiana, note that court requirements vary state to state. As a general rule, the standards set by the Minnesota court system are the most extensive, both in terms of topics covered and hours of education offered. Unless your judge/attorney has required a specific course, there is a good chance that the Parents Forever Online Course for Parents will meet and exceed the standards set by your state's court system. We recommend you discuss this course with your judge/attorney to get it approved before registering.
Yes! After completing each module, you will be asked to complete an online quiz. After successfully completing all feedback forms and quizzes, you will be directed to a webpage to print off your certificate of participation. This certificate is what you need to show your judge, court personnel or attorney if the course was court-ordered.
The courseware used for this course is easy to use. Once you get into the course, everything should be self-explanatory.
Online courses are not for everyone. You need a reliable computer, specific software, and internet access. Get more information at Is my computer ready for the course?
It also helps if you are comfortable with computers and navigating websites.
To help weigh whether the online or in-person version is better for you, see In-person and online course comparison.
Also, know that help will always be available once you register for the course. If you have trouble, contact parentsforever@umn.edu.
If you are having problems registering for this course, contact parentsforever@umn.edu.
See Help! I’m having problems with this online course.
If you've tried the above steps and you still have problems, contact parentsforever@umn.edu.