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
We currently offer three Parents Forever courses. The Parents Forever 8-hour course has been approved by the Minnesota Supreme Court. The Parents Forever 4-hour course is offered in partnership with North Dakota State University Extension Service and University of Wisconsin Extension. You can also learn how to become a Parents Forever facilitator.
Parents Forever has been approved by the Minnesota Supreme Court. It meets and exceeds expectations for court mandated parent education in Minnesota. This online course was developed in partnership with the Minnesota Supreme Court, and was the first online course approved.
If the course has been required, get judge/attorney pre-approval
This course has been approved by the Minnesota Supreme Court. 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. (Your judge/attorney may want to view official documentation from the Minnesota Supreme Court approving the online course.
Completion time
The course will take a minimum of 8 hours to complete. 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.
Cost
The cost for this course is $89. You will receive access to online versions of the Parents Forever Parent Handbook and more as part of your registration fee.
Are you unable to pay the full price? See Do you qualify for a reduced 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.
- Collect your registration fee of $89. (Required as a credit card payment.)
- Give you the link to immediately access the online course.
University of Minnesota Extension has partnered with North Dakota State University Extension Service and University of Wisconsin Extension to create an updated version of the 4-hour Parents Forever course. 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.
Do you have other questions? See Parents Forever ND Online Course FAQs.
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
$69 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 $69 (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.
- Are you a Wisconsin resident and unable to pay the full price? See Do you qualify for a reduced 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.
Who should take this training?
Are you a facilitator in a Parents Forever program, using the older version of the curriculum? Are looking to become a new facilitator for Parents Forever? Then the Parents Forever facilitator training is for you!
This training is for current and new facilitators who want to teach Parents Forever. Parents Forever underwent a major revision in 2014. All facilitators who teach one hour or more of a Parents Forever class now need to attend this training.
The facilitator training helps ensure that:
- Local programs meet all 25 mandatory curriculum topics for parent education in Minnesota.
- Program staff are using the most up-to-date Parents Forever curriculum and related resources.
- Parents receive consistent, high quality education at all Parents Forever programs.
What will I learn?
This training reviews everything that you need to know before teaching a Parents Forever course. In this training, you will learn about:
- What the research says about families in transition, and which theories we used to shape the Parents Forever curriculum.
- The overall organization and teaching philosophy surrounding the Parents Forever curriculum.
- How to start a program and be successful in the future.
- The resources and support available after you complete the training.
- Next steps for partnering with us to offer Parents Forever in your community.
What is required during and after this training?
This training is generally offered via an online course. After completing the training, you will then:
- Receive a certificate of completion.
- Gain access to the Parents Forever curriculum.
- Become an “authorized provider” of Parents Forever. This means you will have permission and support to teach the program in-person to your community.
Can I get more information on Parents Forever?
If you are not quite sure that the training and related curriculum are for you, watch this free Parents Forever Introductory Webinar first. Note the online version of the facilitator training also contains access to this webinar.
You may also be interested in reviewing the Frequently asked questions by professionals.
Please contact Kate Welshons, wels0107@umn.edu for more information.
Parents Forever lesson plan
The first session of the curriculum helps you understand why you must take the course, and what you can expect from it.
After participating in this session, you will be able to:
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Understand the background and basis for the Parents Forever course.
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Explain the outline of the course and how it will be delivered.
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Describe topics and concepts you will learn in the course.
The second Parents Forever session is about self-care. It uses the analogy of a plane trip throughout the curriculum. You will learn that “you need to put on your own oxygen mask first before helping your children or others put on theirs.”
After participating in this session, you will be able to:
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Describe thoughts and feelings associated with the family transition process.
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Examine the links between self-care and life skills needed during and after the family transition.
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Analyze how personal needs and wants affect goals and create an action plan to improve self-care for the future.
The third Parents Forever session is about parent-child relationships. It will help you realize that you and you children need each other. You can both help each other through the family transition journey.
After participating in this session, you will be able to:
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Recognize how stages of child development influence children’s journey through the family transition.
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Identify characteristics of parent-child relationships that improve child wellbeing.
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Apply knowledge and identify skills that will lead to improved parent-child relationships.
The fourth Parents Forever session reaffirms that you and the your children’s other parent are “parents forever,” even if you are not living in the same household.
After participating in this session, you will:
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Reflect on the nature of their co-parenting relationships.
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Apply the communication and conflict management skills needed to have an effective co-parenting relationship.
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Recognize that a parenting plan is an effective tool to help prepare for positive co-parenting.
The fifth, and last, Parents Forever session will help you understand that the family transition will take time. You will eventually reach a satisfactory “destination.” After participating in this session, you will be able to describe how everything works together to improve family well-being.