Co-parenting seminar – for parents who do not live together
When parents separate, uncertainty often follows, accompanied by mixed emotions and many significant changes. Often parents also doubt how their child/children best can have a good life after the breakup. It can be a heavy task to co-parent after a breakup, and to find a good way forward together for the children.
We know from research that parental co-operation is one of the most crucial factors for the security and well-being of children during and after the parents' separation. During the seminar, parents will learn how to better co-operate for the sake of their shared children.
The seminar aims to provide parents with knowledge, inspiration, and tools to improve parental co-operation after separation. Among other things, parents gain insight into various co-operation methods and communication, as well as understanding the well-being and needs of the child/children.
The seminar focuses on three areas:
- Parental co-operation - how co-operation and communication about the children is strengthened.
- Children - how children are well supported during and after the separation.
- Personal approach - how parents take care of themselves during and after the breakup.
The parental co-operation seminar is an educational course with relevant exercises for participants. It is not:
- couples therapy,
- psychological counselling.
- family counselling.
- mediation, or
- child-expert counselling.
Participation in the seminar is free, and all parents who do not live together can attend. It is not a requirement to have been in contact with Family Law Administration or to have an ongoing case. It is also not important how long the separation has lasted or if the parents ever lived together.
All seminar content originates from the KIFF (Kursus i Fælles Forældreansvar) seminar at the Danish Center for Family Development (Center for Familieudvikling), and the instructors are approved by them.
Participants in the seminar gain knowledge, inspiration, and tools to improve co-operation to the benefit of their shared children. The entire seminar is based on what is important for the well-being and security of children whose parents do not live together. When parents co-operate well, it builds something like a secure bridge between the two homes for the child.
Both children and parents can navigate through separation and adapt well to the new family circumstances. The crucial aspect is how the parents manage the breakup and the time afterward. It is essential that parents prioritize their children and establish a good co-operation regarding the children's daily lives and shared parenting responsibilities.
The co-parenting seminar is intended for all parents who do not live together. Parents can participate directly after separation or several years later.
Because the exercises in the course are designed for the individual pair to do together, it is best if both parents participate to get the most out of it.
The seminar takes place on the premises of the Family Law Administration and consists of teaching and exercises. Participating parents receive instructions together but perform the exercises individually. This means that no parent will be asked to share anything with other participating parents.
Each seminar consists of three days, four hours each time – typically held in the afternoons from 13:00 to 17:00.
6-8 pairs of parents can participate in each seminar.
The instructors of the co-parenting seminar have extensive professional experience in the field of family matters. One of them is a sociologist with further education in family studies, while the other is a psychologist certified as an expert in child psychology.
Parents can register for the co-parenting seminar by sending us a mail at famf@famf.fo.