Putting Children First is a four hour, court mandated, educational support group for parents who are about to embark on divorce.  The program recognizes that loving, caring parents may lose sight of how deeply their children may be affected by their decision to obtain a divorce. 
The thought is that if parents are more informed about the pitfalls of families in divorce,
they may be more responsive to their children’s needs during this time.

 Some of the topics that are covered during the session include, co-parenting, dealing with children’s anger, dealing with an unhappy spouse, etc. 
The idea is to facilitate a discussion within the group that will put all parents on a more positive level with their children and the spouses they are divorcing. 
The goal is to empower the parents and to stress how important it is to share with their children that the divorce is not their fault.
The hope is that these parents will walk away from the class with better knowledge and, therefore; create a better atmosphere for themselves and their children during a difficult time.

This class is facilitated by an individual who is of a Master’s level in social work or a licensed mental health counselor.  A certificate of completion is presented to all participants for use through the courts.