Children in Common: Ensuring the Emotional Well-Being of Children When Parenting Apart.

Despite the growing literature on coparenting and divorce education interventions, little has been written about the practice of delivering court-mandated parent education programs for both divorced and unmarried parents living apart. Through its sustained investment in supporting Minnesota families affected by divorce or separation with its Parents Forever™ parent education program and its partnership with Hennepin County’s Co-parent Court project, University of Minnesota Extension is able to explore the intersection of research about coparenting with the practice of court-mandated parent education programs for both divorcing and separating never-married parents. Thus, this article summarizes the latest research findings on selected coparenting issues that have practical importance to both divorcing and never-married parents living apart. This article also highlights recent research on the practice of parent education as it affects both divorcing and separated never-married parents, as well as a foundational discussion of coparenting issues and parent-education practice from the experiences and perspectives of parent-education stakeholders. (Author abstract)