Florida Parent Education and Family Stabilization Course

Yes, a parenting class is required per Florida Statutes for divorcing parents with minor children. Parental conflict related to divorce is a societal concern because children suffer potential short-term and long-term detrimental economic, emotional, and educational effects during this difficult period of family transition. Parents are more likely to consider the best interests of their children when determining parental arrangements if courts provide families with information regarding the process by which courts make decisions on issues affecting their children and suggestions as to how parents may ease the coming adjustments in family structure for their children.

Florida law requires both parties in a divorce to take a Parent Education and Family Stabilization course when minor children or a paternity action is involved. Parents must complete the course before the court makes a final judgment on the divorce.

Divorce is an incredibly emotional process for families to navigate. No matter how long the couple has been married, how old the children are or how long disputes have occurred, there will likely be tough decisions to make and hardships to overcome. However, that does not mean you or your children are alone.

The Florida Parenting Class will teach you about common challenges that families face during a divorce. Additionally, you will learn how to help your children through this significant change to the family structure.

Parents who complete the course early on in the divorce process typically see the best results. They are more present for their children and can explain the divorce in an age-appropriate way. Completing the Florida Parenting Class will help you support your children throughout the divorce and better understand what they are going through.

Topics covered in the course include:

• Emotional, physical and social transitions of divorce
• Shared parental responsibility
• How children react to and understand divorce
• Communicating with your children throughout the divorce
• Communicating with the other parent
• Domestic violence, spousal abuse and child abuse
• Legal concepts related to divorce and shared parental responsibilities
• How to plan visitation for the child’s benefit
• Where to find additional help during the divorce

The course includes nine modules and a final exam. Parents will also need to complete ungraded quizzes and activities throughout the course.

To obtain your Parent Education and Family Stabilization course certificate, you must complete the four-hour course, including quizzes and activities. Additionally, you must pass a 20-question final exam with a score of 80% or higher. You have four attempts to pass the exam, which has a time limit of 180 minutes.

Yes, our online course is approved by Florida DCF and accepted by most Florida courts. You can visit the DCF website to find American Safety Council on the state’s list of approved course providers.

While the online Florida Parenting Class is approved by the Florida DCF, some courts in the state may not allow you to take this course online. Please contact your local court office to confirm that your certificate will be accepted.

The Florida Parenting Class takes four hours to complete. After you finish all learning modules, you must pass a final exam. The exam is open book and you may retake the test as many times as you require without any additional fees.

Yes. If a judge declares you indigent, we can sign you up for the course free of charge. Before you register for the course, you will need to provide us your Indigent Status form by email or fax.

Florida recommends that parents should take the Parent Education and Family Stabilization course as early as possible in the divorce process. In most cases, the parent filing for divorce must complete the course within 45 days of filing the petition, and the other party must finish the course within 45 days of being served a divorce petition.

In paternity actions, the parent filling for divorce is also typically required to finish the course within 45 days of filing the petition. The other party must complete the course within 45 days of his or her acknowledgement of paternity, an adjudication of paternity or an order granting time-sharing to or support from that party.

You will receive a physical copy of your Parent Education and Family Stabilization course certificate by USPS First-Class Mail. You can also request a digital copy of your certificate for an additional fee.

Yes. The Florida Parent Education and Family Stabilization course includes a 20-question final exam that tests student knowledge of the information covered in the course. You have up to four attempts to pass the final exam with a score of 80% or higher.

Parents who do not take the Florida Parenting Class as required may be held in contempt of court. Additionally, they may be denied time-sharing or shared parental responsibility. The consequences of failing to complete the course by the court’s deadline should not be taken lightly.

A dissolution of marriage is the official term for divorce in Florida. The state only has one requirement for the divorce process to begin. One party must prove that the marriage is "irretrievably broken." This means the person must demonstrate that issues in the marriage cannot be resolved and a healthy marriage is no longer feasible.

A regular dissolution of marriage is the standard divorce process that parents with children under age 18 must follow. Florida also offers a less complicated divorce process called simplified dissolution of marriage, but it is not available to parents with minor children. The simplified process has a variety of other eligibility requirements as well.

No, you can complete the parenting course at your own pace. You will save your progress at the end of each chapter. Keep in mind, in the State of Florida, the petitioner has just 45 days from the date of filing to complete the Florida Parent Education and Family Stabilization Course. The Respondent must complete the course within 45 days from the date they are served.

No, you cannot fail the Florida parenting class. The Florida Parent Education and Family Stabilization Course is a no-fail course. At the end of each chapter is a 10 question review and then a final exam after all chapters have been completed. You are able to re-take the test as many times as necessary with No Penalty until you pass with a score of 70% or higher. Our goal is to educate you, not penalize you.

Divorce parenting class is a name often associated with the Florida Parent Education and Family Stabilization Course. The purpose of the course is to educate parents concerning changes that may occur in the family, particularly for children. The course will provide suggestions for coping with these changes and give you tips on how to coparent effectively for the well being of all children involved in a divorce.

For dissolution of marriage actions:

• The petitioner must complete the course within 45 days after the filing of the petition.
• All other parties must complete the course within 45 days after service of the petition.

The court may hold any parent who fails to attend a required parenting course in contempt, or that parent may be denied shared parental responsibility or time-sharing or otherwise sanctioned as the court deems appropriate.