The four-hourTransParenting® seminars are primarily offered in areas where the courts have embraced a “mandate” either through the state legislation or through a local judicial rule. While many parents are resistant to the idea of being told to attend a class; approximately 90% of parents nationwide report being “glad” they attended and say they “would recommend the class to another parent.”
- State-Wide Mandate…The legislative body of the state has agreed all divorcing or separating parents who share the responsibility of raising children will attend a parent education seminar. Most often, the wording includes criteria or content area for parent education programs. It is then up to each provider to choose a curriculum meeting these requirements. TransParenting® is listed as an exemplary program in the Tennessee legislation. It also has met the requirements of all other state mandates in which it has been offered.
*The following 15 states have a Statewide Mandate in place (updated 2/10/08). Visit the (.gov) website for each state to view language of each mandate.
| Florida | Virginia | Arizona | Hawaii |
| Tennessee | Massachusetts | New Jersey | Utah |
| Delaware | Connecticut | Colorado | Wisconsin |
| Arkansas | West Virginia | New Hampshire |
- “Local Rule”…The legislative body of the state has agreed to allow individual courts within the state to mandate parent education by their choosing. The wording is often very open ended and simply gives each jurisdiction freedom to create a local rule.
*The following 35 states have a Local Rule in place (updated 2/10/08). Visit the (.gov) website for each state to view language for each rule:
| Alaska | Indiana | North Dakota | Texas | Vermont |
| Alabama | California | Iowa | Mississippi | Ohio |
| Utah | Kansas | Montana | Oklahoma | Washington |
| Georgia | Kentucky | Nebraska | Oregon | Washington D.C. |
| Louisiana | Rhode Island | New York | Pennsylvania | Wyoming |
| Idaho | Michigan | New Mexico | South Carolina | Maine |
| Illinois | Missouri | North Carolina | South Dakota | Maryland |
*Pollet, S., & Lombreglia, M. (2008). A Nationwide Survey of Mandatory Parent Education. Family Court Review, 46 (2), 375-394.
State by State NEWS …In 2006, the judicial referral to online classes as a replacement for a live seminar experiences began to become much more commonplace. While online learning has value, most experienced parent educators resonate strongly against this format for adults facing the emotional changes associated with divorce and separation. TransParenting® is proud of its 20 year history helping families move through significant change and will remain a interactive learning experience for parents.
