(a) The Judicial Department shall establish a parenting education program for parties involved in any action before the Superior Court under section 46b-1, except actions brought under section 46b-15 and chapter 815t. For the purposes of this section, “parenting education program” means a course designed by the Judicial Department to educate persons, including unmarried parents, on the impact on children of the restructuring of families. The course shall include, but not be limited to, information on the developmental stages of children, adjustment of children to parental separation, dispute resolution and conflict management, guidelines for visitation, stress reduction in children and cooperative parenting.

(b) The court shall order any party to an action specified in subsection (a) of this section to participate in such program whenever a minor child is involved in such action unless (1) the parties agree, subject to the approval of the court, not to participate in such program, (2) the court, on motion, determines that participation is not deemed necessary, or (3) the parties select and participate in a comparable parenting education program. A family support magistrate may order parties involved in any action before the Family Support Magistrate Division to participate in such parenting education program, upon a finding that such participation is necessary and provided both parties are present when such order is issued. No party shall be required to participate in such program more than once. A party shall be deemed to have satisfactorily completed such program upon certification by the service provider of the program.

(c) The Judicial Department shall, by contract with service providers, make available the parenting education program and shall certify to the court the results of each party's participation in the program.

(d) Any person who is ordered to participate in a parenting education program shall pay directly to the service provider a participation fee, except that no person may be excluded from such program for inability to pay such fee. Any contract entered into between the Judicial Department and the service provider pursuant to subsection (c) of this section shall include a fee schedule and provisions requiring service providers to allow persons who are indigent or unable to pay to participate in such program and shall provide that all costs of such program shall be covered by the revenue generated from participants' fees. The total cost for such program shall not exceed two hundred dollars per person. Such amount shall be indexed annually to reflect the rate of inflation. The program shall not exceed a total of ten hours.

(e) Any service provider under contract with the Judicial Department pursuant to this section shall provide safety and security for participants in the program, including victims of family violence.

(P.A. 93-319, S. 1, 4; May 25 Sp. Sess. P.A. 94-1, S. 99, 130; June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-7, S. 35, 38; P.A. 02-132, S. 16.)

History: P.A. 93-319 effective January 1, 1994, and applicable to actions pending on, or filed on or after, that date; May 25 Sp. Sess. P.A. 94-1 amended Subsec. (a) by making technical change, effective July 1, 1994; June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-7 amended Subsec. (a) by adding “including unmarried parents” and amended Subsec. (b) by adding provision that family support magistrates may order parties to participate in parenting education program if participation is necessary and both parties are present, effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 02-132 replaced “Family Division” with “Judicial Department” throughout and made technical changes in Subsecs. (a) and (b).

Statute does not infringe on parents' fundamental right to exercise care, custody and control over their children and, under rational basis review, is rationally related to a legitimate government purpose, that is, the state's legitimate interest in promoting the welfare of children. 289 C. 362.