The Province of Alberta recently completed a pilot program for parental divorce education in Edmonton. Plans are now underway to initiate the program in Calgary and in three other centres. Approximately 4,000 people participated in the six-hour course -- which is now mandatory for couples who file for custody, access, or child support through the court system -- in the past five years. (The program was voluntary for the first three years.) Funded by social services and the justice department, the course is free to parents and provides information about the effects divorce has on them and their children, discussing such issues as parental alienation and dos and don'ts of divorce and mediation.

Course evaluations have been positive, and so have the results. "As a mediator, it's much easier to work with people if they've gone through the course," says Kent Taylor, founder and coordinator of the Edmonton and Northern Custody Mediation Program.

Toronto Fathers' Resources, a pilot project of Fathers' Resources International, has created "Divorce 101," a parental divorce education program that teaches fathers how to use making peace as a strategy during divorce to resolve disputes. "Our research told us that people want a quick, accessible way to start dealing with the anger that they feel," says Guspie. "This is our strategy." The seven-step "Divorce Healing" program, which has been successful in helping fathers, will be expanded to include women and grandparents this spring, says Guspie.

Since July 1992, all divorcing parents in Utah with children under 18 years old have been required to attend the "Divorce Education Course for Parents." The Utah program was initiated by Elizabeth Hickey, director of the Mediation and Divorce Centre in Salt Lake City and author of Healing Hearts, because she saw too many children being hurt by fighting parents.

"I asked kids what they would wish for if they had three wishes. Over 90% of the kids said they wished their parents would stop fighting," Hickey says. "The stress is so hard on kids."

The goals of the Utah course include:

• giving parents information that will help them support their children's emotional well-being
• creating an understanding of how and why conflict between parents creates stress for children
  
• encouraging parents to cooperate with each other in order to minimize the impact of conflict on their children
  
• encouraging parents to understand that children need a continued and meaningful relationship with both parents.

The program began as a free, voluntary, two-hour class for divorcing parents. Initially, about 30 people attended each month. Then a state senator who was a child advocate attended the class, and soon after led a legislative task force on child-custody, turning the course into an 18-month mandatory pilot program. At first, there was resistance to the course -- 76% of the participants resented having to be there -- but after four years, only 24% felt the same way. Ninety-three percent of the parents felt it was worthwhile, and more than 90% of the participants said the course increased their understanding of why parents should get along, Hickey reports.

People working in the divorce, mediation, and counselling fields believe the parental divorce education movement will continue to grow, and that divorce education for children will also become a valid service. "Talking about family dynamics and the dependence of children with the parents is tremendously valuable," says Cout. "There are a lot of resources out there, but the more parents can learn about their child's development, the more creative they can be in helping them cope."

Parent Information Pilot Project Launched

By Brad Marcoux

Professors at Osgoode Hall Law School have begun a pilot project for those appearing in court for separation or divorce-related proceedings without legal representation -- or emotional resolution -- to help them deal with thorny familial and bureaucratic issues.

Cuts to legal aid combined with a lack of knowledge about alternatives to court proceedings have created a situation in which 75% of litigants show up to family court for custody, access, and support cases without representation or even a rudimentary knowledge of jargon and procedures necessary to facilitate a speedy appearance. More importantly, they are unaware of the emotional minefield that such procedures can be -- both for themselves and their children. The "Parent Information Pilot Project," which is offered on Monday evenings in locations in Toronto and North York, hopes to address this lack of legal knowledge and the emotional difficulties that go hand-in-hand with divorce.

Supported by a $184,000 grant from the Donner Foundation, the free program is led by a lawyer and a mental health worker, and covers topics such as proper jargon and procedures of court appearances. It also introduces alternatives to litigation -- such as negotiation or mediation.

The emotional component to the program is intended to help people safely navigate the murky waters of "emotional divorce." Parents learn what they can expect from both themselves and their children as procedures advance, and what traps divorcing couples commonly fall into. The course highlights the emotional stages adults pass through during separation and common reactions of children during disputes. Instructors emphasize the importance of recognizing the damage that can be caused by involving a child in a bitter dispute. "The aim is to increase awareness of what is involved and what some of the alternatives are," says Patrick Monahan, a professor at Osgoode and one of the program's organizers.

The success of the project will be evaluated via questionnaires administered after the classes, and then again six months after completion. A tally of the number of couples returning to court will also help measure the fortunes of those involved. In order to avoid conflict, separating couples aren't allowed to attend the same session, and seminar leaders take issues such as abuse into consideration before suggesting alternatives to court and explaining emotional reactions.

Attendance at the weekly meetings has hovered around seven or eight people, according to Monahan, and there's growing support for the program in the judicial system. "Judges are starting to recommend the course," he says. "Staff are also starting to hand out brochures, and there are posters at the Family Division of Provincial Court to let people know about the service."

For more information about the Parent Information Pilot Project, call (416) 650-8104.