For the past 25 years, Parents Forever has been supporting families in their journey.
Celebrating 25 Years of Parents Forever: A Global Pioneer in Divorce Education
Originally developed in Minnesota, the Parents Forever educational program has come a long way since its inception as a local initiative aimed at supporting parents and caregivers going through divorce, separation, or never having been married. Over the past 25 years, it has grown to become a widely used program across various states and now offers virtual classes, indicating a broader geographic reach and possibly international accessibility via online platforms.
The program's roots lie in the recognition of the importance of structured education for parents to reduce the negative impacts of divorce on children. It teaches communication, conflict resolution, and parenting skills tailored to post-divorce family dynamics, emphasizing the importance of self-care, parent-child relationships, and coparenting in child well-being.
One of the significant milestones in Parents Forever's journey was its inclusion in the Early Intervention Foundation (EIF) guidebook in the United Kingdom in 2021. This recognition marked its transition from a regional program to a globally recognized initiative.
The program's curriculum is designed to be adaptable and can be used by any community to facilitate their own divorce education program. It encourages parents to identify their internal and external resources and plan how to leverage them to promote resilience for all involved.
Participants of Parents Forever value the program's focus on child well-being and healthy family relationships. Many have shared their experiences, with one participant stating they learned how to help their child from an emotional perspective and manage themselves better.
Over the years, Parents Forever has expanded its delivery methods to include two online program options: a 4-hour and an 8-hour program. This flexibility allows families to choose the option that best suits their needs and schedules.
The team behind Parents Forever has multiple research publications and conference presentations, and they use shared evaluation measures across the country to improve the program. The program is continuously updated to remain relevant and grounded in research, ensuring it continues to provide the best possible support to families going through challenging times.
The Parents Forever program is evidence-based and addresses issues from a whole person perspective. It helps parents transition to healthier co-parenting styles, provides tools for emotional healing, and supports families in stabilizing parenting decisions and child routines.
The program's impact is far-reaching, benefiting not only the parents and children directly involved but also the wider community. By teaching cooperative parenting strategies and emotional support, Parents Forever works to mitigate the adverse effects of divorce on children.
In conclusion, Parents Forever began as a regional educational approach for divorced or separating parents, expanded through universities and community programs, and now evolved to include virtual participation, greatly increasing its reach and impact on promoting healthier post-divorce family relationships. Its contributions focus on teaching cooperative parenting strategies and emotional support to mitigate the adverse effects of divorce on children.
- Parents Forever's curriculum emphasizes not only structured education for parents undergoing divorce, but also incorporates elements of education-and-self-development, personal-growth, and learning, by teaching communication, conflict resolution, and parenting skills tailored to family-dynamics, and encouraging parents to identify their resources for resilience.
- The program's influence extends beyond the local community, reaching international accessibility via online platforms, which allows more families to benefit from its focus on child well-being, healthy family relationships, and learning strategies for coping with divorce.
- Aside from supporting parents and children, Parents Forever promotes personal-growth within relationships, by helping participants manage themselves and their emotions better, thereby fostering a stronger sense of family-dynamics and personal-growth for all members.
