Under statute section 46b-69b, Connecticut requires that parents with minor children who are involved in a divorce, annulment, separation, custody or visitation case must attend a parenting education program. The purpose of the program is to educate persons, including unmarried parents, on the impact on children of the restructuring of families. According to the statute, "the course shall include, but not be limited to information on the developmental stages of children, adjustment of children to parental separation, dispute resolution and conflict management, guidelines for visitation, stress reduction in children and cooperative parenting."
The parenting education program lasts six hours and is offered in two three hour classes or three two hour classes. Each parent must fill out a form in order to attend the program. The cost of the program is $150.00 per person which can be waived if a person is indigent. There are several agencies throughout the state which provide the program. A list of those agencies and the form that needs to be filled out can be found on the judicial branch website at www.jud.ct.gov
A party can be exempted from attending the program if both parties agree, subject to the approval of the court, not to participate in the program or the court determines that participation is not necessary or the parties participate in a comparable parenting education program.
