43-2928. Attendance at basic level parenting education course; delay or waiver; second-level parenting education course; State Court Administrator; duties; costs.

(1) The court shall order all parties to a proceeding under the Parenting Act to attend a basic level parenting education course. Participation in the course may be delayed or waived by the court for good cause shown. Failure or refusal by any party to participate in such a course as ordered by the court shall not delay the entry of a final judgment or an order modifying a final judgment in such action by more than six months and shall in no case be punished by incarceration.

(2) The court may order parties under the act to attend a second-level parenting education course subsequent to completion of the basic level course when screening or a factual determination of child abuse or neglect, domestic intimate partner abuse, or unresolved parental conflict has been identified.

(3) The State Court Administrator shall approve all parenting education courses under the act.

(4) The basic level parenting education course pursuant to this section shall be designed to educate the parties about the impact of the pending court action upon the child and appropriate application of parenting functions. The course shall include, but not be limited to, information on the developmental stages of children, adjustment of a child to parental separation, the litigation and court process, alternative dispute resolution, conflict management, stress reduction, guidelines for parenting time, visitation, or other access, provisions for safety and transition plans, and information about parents and children affected by child abuse or neglect, domestic intimate partner abuse, and unresolved parental conflict.

(5) The second-level parenting education course pursuant to this section shall include, but not be limited to, information about development of provisions for safety and transition plans, the potentially harmful impact of domestic intimate partner abuse and unresolved parental conflict on the child, use of effective communication techniques and protocols, resource and referral information for victim and perpetrator services, batterer intervention programs, and referrals for mental health services, substance abuse services, and other community resources.

(6) Each party shall be responsible for the costs, if any, of attending any court-ordered parenting education course. At the request of any party, or based upon screening or recommendation of a mediator, the parties shall be allowed to attend separate courses or to attend the same course at different times, particularly if child abuse or neglect, domestic intimate partner abuse, or unresolved parental conflict is or has been present in the relationship or one party has threatened the other party.

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