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Parent Education Program Requirements

Quick Facts

Parent education programs are required in contested proceedings.
Attendance is mandatory.
Failure to attend may lead to sanctions.
What happens in the program stays in the program.
Each person is responsible for his or her own fee.

According to Minnesota divorce law, in a contested proceeding involving child custody or parenting time of a minor child, the parents are required to participate in a parent education program that meets minimum standards promulgated by the Minnesota supreme court within 30 days after the first filing with the court.

Implementation & Administration

Each judicial district has a parent education program to educate parents about the impact that divorce, the restructuring of families, and judicial proceedings have on children and families. The parent education programs are also used to teach methods for preventing parenting time conflicts and how to solve disputes.

The district may require that children attend a separate education program designed to deal with the impact of divorce on children as part of the parent education program.

Each parent education program is required to give timely and reasonable access to education sessions.

Attendance

When custody or parenting time is contested, the parents must attend a minimum of eight hours in an education program that meets the minimum standards promulgated by the Minnesota Supreme Court.

In all other proceedings involving custody, support, or parenting time, the court has the authority to order the parents to attend a parent education program.

The program will provide the court with names of parents who fail to attend the parent education program.

Parents who are separated or involved in a divorce, paternity, custody, or parenting time proceeding may attend a parent education program without a court order.

Participation in a parent education program must usually begin no more than 30 days after the first filing with the court or as soon as practicable after that time based on the reasonable availability of classes for the program for the parent. Parent education programs offer the opportunity to participate at all phases of a pending or postdecree proceeding.

If a parent has good cause, the court may excuse the parent from attending the program. If past or present domestic abuse is alleged, the court will not require the parents to attend the same parent education sessions and will the parents about how they may safely participate in the program.

Sanctions

The court may impose sanctions upon a parent for failing to attend or complete a parent education program as ordered.

Confidentiality of Classes

Unless all parties agree in writing, statements made by a person during participation in a parent education program are inadmissible as evidence for any purpose. The only permissible record regarding a parent's participation in a parent education program is a record of attendance at and completion of the program. Instructors are not allowed to disclose information about an individual participant. Parent education instructors may not be subpoenaed or called as witnesses in court proceedings.

Program Fee

Each person who attends a parent education program pays a fee to defray the cost of the program. A parent who qualifies for waiver of filing fees is exempt from paying the parent education program fee. The court will waive the fee or direct its payment from court funds. Program providers have a sliding fee scale based on income.