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Impact in Richland County: How Parents Can Help Children Through Divorce

Impact in Richland County: How Parents Can Help Children Through Divorce. Peggy Olive, Family Living Agent Richland County UW-Extension. Richland County, Wisconsin. • Population 18,056 • Median household income $33,998 • Approximately 100 divorces each year. Community Partnership.

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Impact in Richland County: How Parents Can Help Children Through Divorce

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  1. Impact in Richland County:How Parents Can Help Children Through Divorce Peggy Olive, Family Living Agent Richland County UW-Extension How Parents Can Help Children Through Divorce

  2. Richland County, Wisconsin • Population 18,056 • Median household income $33,998 • Approximately 100 divorces each year How Parents Can Help Children Through Divorce

  3. Community Partnership • Circuit Court Judge • Family Court Commissioner • Child Support Agency • Health and Human Services • School Counselors • Mental Health Professionals • University of Wisconsin – Cooperative Extension – Continuing Education How Parents Can Help Children Through Divorce

  4. Concerns • Post-divorce litigation • Child support delinquency • Social Service referrals • Lack of support for parents and children How Parents Can Help Children Through Divorce

  5. Solution Mandated parenting after divorce education How Parents Can Help Children Through Divorce

  6. How Parents Can Help Children Through Divorce • Six hour course • $40 per participant • Evenings and Saturdays • Male and female facilitators • Curriculum includes specific skills parents can use to support children’s adjustments during the divorce and ensuing reorganization How Parents Can Help Children Through Divorce

  7. Number of Course Participants 1998: 65 1999: 56 2000: 70 2001: 79 2002: 49 2003: 56 Total: 375 How Parents Can Help Children Through Divorce

  8. Open Record Data: • Open records of parents divorcing between 1996 – 2000 • 127 records reviewed • Neither parent participated in course = 56 How Parents Can Help Children Through Divorce

  9. Characteristics of Course Participants: • Mothers range from 21 – 50 years old • Fathers range from 23 – 59 years old • Have an average of 2 children • Average age of children is 9—11 years old How Parents Can Help Children Through Divorce

  10. What the Records Show: Occurrence of Post Divorce Litigation d Litigations/# of Months Divorced # of Who Completed Course How Parents Can Help Children Through Divorce

  11. What the Records Show: Occurrence of Post Divorce Litigation d Litigations/# of Months Divorced # of Who Completed Course How Parents Can Help Children Through Divorce

  12. What the Records Show: Occurrence of Child Support Delinquency /# of Months Divorced nt Payments Delinque # of Who Completed Course How Parents Can Help Children Through Divorce

  13. What the Records Show: Occurrence of Child Support Delinquency d /# of Months Divorced nt Payments Delinque # of Who Completed Course How Parents Can Help Children Through Divorce

  14. Child Support Delinquency Rates Percent Delinquency Rate Pop ulation How Parents Can Help Children Through Divorce

  15. What the Records Show: • Having at least one parent attend the course is associated with a lower likelihood of child support delinquency (p<.05) How Parents Can Help Children Through Divorce

  16. Parent Reported Data: • 6, 9, or 12 month follow-up survey of participants from 1998 – 2000 • Participants from both Continuing Education and Huebner & Associates, Inc. • 47 responses out of 136 surveys (35%) How Parents Can Help Children Through Divorce

  17. What Parents Reported: • A decrease in parental conflict (p<.01) • An increase in cooperative parenting behaviors (p<.01) How Parents Can Help Children Through Divorce

  18. What Parents Reported: Level of Conflict (N=44) Almost Never Almost Always How Parents Can Help Children Through Divorce

  19. What Parents Reported: Level of Cooperation (N=44) Almost Never Almost Always How Parents Can Help Children Through Divorce

  20. What Parents Reported: • Dads aged 30+ are less likely to dispute custody placement than dads younger than 30 (p<.05) • Parents who remarry are more likely to have post-divorce litigation (p<.01) • If the “other parent” attended a course, there is a lower likelihood of post-divorce litigation (p<.001) How Parents Can Help Children Through Divorce

  21. Benefits to Partners and Community: • Circuit Court • Child Support Agency • Human Service Agencies • Schools • University of Wisconsin - Extension • Families How Parents Can Help Children Through Divorce

  22. Participant Comments: “Understanding we are divorcing each other, not our children.” “Learning to understand your own thoughts and ways to handle difficult situations.” “This was the best $40 I spent in my $9000 divorce.” How Parents Can Help Children Through Divorce

  23. Sharing Results: • Outreach Scholarship Conference, October 2003 • Community Partners, May 2004 • Stress and Transitions Family Living Program Team WisLine, October 2004 How Parents Can Help Children Through Divorce

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