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a small child and mother

Separation and Divorce

The process of divorce and other family changes are difficult for both children and adults. How the parents handle the changes makes a big difference for everyone, especially the children. To ease these changes to the family unit, Vermont judges require parents of minors who are involved in divorce, establishment of parentage, legal separation, dissolution of civil unions, and changes in parental rights and responsibilities to attend the four-hour COPE Seminar.

Coping with Separation and Divorce program: A Parenting Seminar (COPE) focuses on children's needs and teaches parenting skills to support parents in lessening the impact of changes on their children. The University of Vermont Extension provides training and materials to professionals throughout the state to conduct the classes at local Courts.  COPE is a collaborative program of UVM Extension and the Vermont Superior Court: Family Division.

Topics include

  • How families experience divorce and other family transitions.
  • Typical reactions of children.
  • Development needs of children.
  • Skills that help children cope.
  • Pitfalls to avoid.

More information

Resources for parents
  • ShareKids.com - A free, easy to use family management site to share calendars, track information, and store documents.
  • Parenting 24/7 University of Illinois Cooperative Extension
  • KidsHealth Information for parents, kids and teens from the Nemours non-profit children's health system
Resources for children

Last modified July 05 2012 02:54 PM

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