Salt Lake City, UT—The Third District Court has scheduled Divorce Education for Children Classes on Saturday, March 1 from 10 a.m. to noon and Monday, March 17 from 6 to 8 p.m.
The Divorce Education for Children class is available for children 9- to 12-years old whose parents have filed for divorce in Salt Lake County. The class is presented twice each month—one Monday evening and one Saturday—at the Scott M. Matheson Courthouse at 450 South State Street. Parents wanting to register their children for the class should call Alyssa White at (801) 578-3897. There is no charge to attend.
The program’s curriculum provides children with skills they can use at home, such as how to express their feelings to parents. Mental health professionals teach the class with the assistance of state court judges and commissioners. Participation in the children’s class is voluntary.
“Children often feel responsible for their parents’ divorce and feel alone as part of divorce proceedings,” said Third District Court Commissioner Michael Evans, who is chair of the Divorce Education for Children Subcommittee. “The course is designed to minimize the adverse effects divorce has on children by teaching them coping skills.” Commissioner Evans stressed that the class is not intended as psychotherapy.
In 2006, approx. 12,870 divorce cases were filed in Utah; 10,854 children were involved in these cases. For more information, go to www.utcourts.gov/specproj/dived.htm.