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UNDER
A NEW RULE, COURTS CAN NOW ORDER PARENTS TO ATTEND
CERTIFIED PROGRAMS
By Susan L. Pollet, Esq.,
Counsel and Director of the New York State Parent
Education and Awareness Program
Thanks to the vision of New
York State's Chief Judge, Judith S. Kaye, who initiated
the effort to institutionalize parent education for
parents separating from their spouse or partner, or
going through a divorce, to the 19-member Advisory Board
chaired by the Hon. Evelyn Frazee, and to Chief
Administrative Judge Jonathan Lippman and the
Administrative Board who approved the new Rule (Part 144
of the Rules of the Chief Administrator) promulgated in
July 2006 permitting judges, in their discretion, to
mandate parent education, the New York State Parent
Education and Awareness Program ("PEAP") is "alive and
doing well."
The PEAP is designed to
educate parents who are going through a divorce,
separation or other child-centered litigation about the
impact of their breakup on their children. The
primary goal is to teach parents ways they can reduce
the stress of family changes and protect their children
from the negative effects of ongoing parental conflict
in order to foster and promote their children's healthy
adjustment and development. The curriculum is
designed to be sensitive to victims of domestic
violence.
The Office of Court
Administration certifies and monitors local providers of
such services who wish to accept court-ordered
participants. Parents can self-refer, and be
referred by agencies to programs as well. As of
the date of this writing, there are 41 certified
providers in 52 counties at 72 sites throughout the
State of New York. A list of the certified
providers, and their contact information, is contained
on the website at
www.nycourts.gov/ip/parent-ed.
Numerous states throughout
the country have mandatory parent education programs,
including, but not limited to, Connecticut, Delaware,
Massachusetts, and New Jersey. New York had been
"behind the times" in this respect. Judges in our
State had been reporting that without the ability to
order parents to attend the program, some parents who
really needed the education would not attend. They
described "crumpled referral notices" on courthouse
floors. Many program providers had been
complaining about attendance levels. Allowing
judges, in their discretion, to mandate that parents
attend the programs will ensure better attendance to the
benefit of parents, their children and the programs.
At the site visits which we conduct around the State,
parents attending the programs have mentioned to us that
they wish that they had attended the program earlier,
and for some, although they states that they did not
want to attend at first, they mentioned that they are
pleased that they had.
Experience and research have
shown that parent education does make a positive
difference for children and their parents who are
experiencing divorce or separation from a partner or
spouse, and it can help bring about a reduced need for
court intervention. As a service to your clients,
please tell parents about this important program -- it
could make all the difference to parents and to children
experiencing this painful process. If you have any
questions, you can contact the Program by e-mail at
nyparent-ed@courts.state.ny.us, at the toll-free
888-809-2798, or by mail at The New York State Parent
Education and Awareness Program, 140 Grand Street, Suite
701, White Plains, New York 10601. Vanessa Vitola,
our dedicated Administrator, is ready and willing to
answer your questions.
View
Part 144 of the Rules of the
Chief Administrator,
establishing the New York State Parent Education and
Awareness Program |
