§ 14-10-123.7 — Parental education - legislative declaration

Colorado § 14-10-123.7

• Jurisdiction: Colorado
• Title 14: Domestic
• Art.: Uniform Dissolution of Marriage Act

Text

(1) The general
assembly recognizes research that documents the negative impact divorce and
separation can have on children when the parents continue the marital conflict,
expose the children to this conflict, or place the children in the middle of the
conflict or when one parent drops out of the child's life. This research establishes
that children of divorce or separation may exhibit a decreased ability to function
academically, socially, and psychologically because of the stress of the divorce or
separation process. The general assembly also finds that, by understanding the
process of divorce and its impact on both adults and children, parents can more
effectively help and support their children during this time of family
reconfiguration. Accordingly, the general assembly finds that it is in the best
interests of children to authorize courts to establish, or contract with providers for
the establishment of, educational programs for separating, divorcing, and divorced
parents with minor children. The intent of these programs is to educate parents
about the divorce process and its impact on adults and children and to teach
coparenting skills and strategies so that parents may continue to parent their
children in a cooperative manner.

(2) A court may order a parent whose child is under eighteen years of age to
attend a program designed to provide education concerning the impact of
separation and divorce on children in cases in which the parent of a minor is a
named party in a dissolution of marriage proceeding, a legal separation proceeding,
a proceeding concerning the allocation of parental responsibilities, parenting time
proceedings, or postdecree proceedings involving the allocation of parental
responsibilities or parenting time or proceedings in which the parent is the subject
of a protection order issued pursuant to this article.

(3) Each judicial district, or combination of judicial districts as designated by
the chief justice of the Colorado supreme court, may establish an educational
program for divorcing and separating parents who are parties to any of the types of
proceedings specified in subsection (2) of this section or arrange for the provision
of such educational programs by private providers through competitively
negotiated contracts. The educational program shall inform parents about the
divorce process and its impact on adults and children and shall teach parents
coparenting skills and strategies so that they may continue to parent their children
in a cooperative manner. Any such educational program shall be administered and
monitored by the implementing judicial district or districts and shall be paid for by
the participating parents in accordance with each parent's ability to pay.

Legislative History

Source: L. 96: Entire section added, p. 249, � 1, effective July 1. L. 97: (2) amended, p. 80, � 1, effective March 24. L. 98: (2) amended, p. 1380, � 8, effective February 1, 1999. L. 2003: (2) amended, p. 1012, � 17, effective July 1.