Online parenting programs that are proven to help

The short answer

Most courts that require a parenting course name the course you must take: Parenting After Separation in Alberta and BC, the Mandatory Information Program in Ontario, a group information session in Quebec, and state-approved courses in places like Florida. These are mainly information courses. Separately, a few skills programs have been tested in randomised trials. The best known, New Beginnings, has an online version that reduced parent conflict and children's anxiety and depression symptoms in a 2022 trial. Take the course your court requires first, then consider a tested skills program.

Many separating parents first hear about parenting courses as a box to tick: the court says you must take one before your case can move. Some parents also want something more, a course that actually helps their children. Those can be two different courses. This guide explains the difference, what the research behind the best-tested program found, which courses are required where, and how to choose. It is general information; requirements change, so confirm with your court or a lawyer in your province or state.

What "evidence-based" means for a parenting course

Many courses say they are "research-based", which usually means the content draws on research. That is different from being tested. A program has strong evidence when researchers randomly assign parents to take it or not, then measure how the children are doing, ideally for years afterwards. Few separation courses have been tested this way. The ones that have are worth knowing about.

The American Psychological Association's guidance on healthy divorce notes that parent education programs focused on improving parent-child relationships have been shown to help children cope better in the months and years after divorce. The key words are "parent-child relationships": the programs with results teach skills, not just information.

The New Beginnings Program: what the trials found

New Beginnings was developed by psychologists Sharlene Wolchik and Irwin Sandler at Arizona State University. According to ASU's REACH Institute, it is a 10-session program that teaches parents to build warm relationships, communicate openly with children, use effective discipline and keep children out of the middle of conflict.

The in-person program

The REACH Institute reports that the in-person program has been evaluated in three randomised trials, which showed it improved parenting and reduced children's mental health problems. One trial followed families up six and fifteen years later. At the adolescent follow-up, teenagers whose parents took part had 37% lower rates of diagnosed mental disorder and used less alcohol and drugs. At fifteen years, the institute reports fewer mental health and substance problems and less involvement with the justice system. It attributes the effects to the improvements in parenting during the program.

The online version

Because the in-person program was expensive, which the researchers estimated at about $700 per family, and hard for busy parents to finish, they built an online version, eNew Beginnings. ASU reported in 2022 on a randomised trial with 131 participants, who were given the program or placed on a waitlist. The findings, published in Family Court Review:

Parents and children both reported reduced conflict between the parents and improved parenting.
Both reported fewer anxiety and depression symptoms in the children.
The reduction in conflict was larger than in the in-person version.
Among parents who completed the first session, 60% finished the online program, compared with 16% for the in-person version.

Read it with care. These are US studies run by the program's developers, and the online trial was modest in size. That is common in this field, but independent replication would make the evidence stronger. The program is also a commercial product sold at divorceandparenting.com, which offers a ten-session version and a six-session version with a certificate for court-referred parents.

What the stronger courses teach

The New Beginnings materials describe four building blocks: positive activities and one-on-one time with your child, listening so children can share worries, effective tools for managing misbehaviour, and practical ways to protect children from conflict with the other parent. The REACH Institute stresses that the benefits came through changes in parenting, so the practice between sessions is the point, not an extra.

Government information courses cover different ground. BC's PAS courses, for example, cover making decisions in the child's best interests, communicating with the other parent, keeping children out of the middle of conflict, options for resolving disputes, and community resources. That is useful context, and it is why the two kinds of course complement each other.

Courses courts require: Canada

Requirements depend on the province and the court. The main ones:

Alberta. The province says the Parenting After Separation (PAS) course is required before you file a divorce application or a Family Law Act application in the Court of King's Bench, or if a judge directs you to take it. A follow-up course, Parenting After Separation for Families in High Conflict, is required if a judge orders it. There is also a course for Indigenous families, which complements PAS but does not replace it.
British Columbia. The province's PAS courses are free, online and take about three hours. If you go to Provincial Court, you must complete one before your first court date unless you have an exemption; in Supreme Court a judge may suggest it. Parents who agree without going to court do not have to take it.
Ontario. The Mandatory Information Program is the first step in a family court case for both parties, with limited exceptions, such as when the only claims are for divorce, costs or an order reflecting an agreement.
Quebec. The Quebec government's group information session on parenting after separation is free and online, and attending it is a legal obligation if you still disagree when your case comes before a judge. People who say they are victims of conjugal violence have an exemption route through a recognised victim support service.

Other provinces and territories have their own programs. Your court registry or a family justice centre can tell you what applies.

Courses courts require: the US

Many states or local courts require a parenting class in cases involving children, but the rules vary widely. Florida is a clear example. Under Florida Statutes section 61.21, parties to a divorce with minor children must complete a state-approved Parent Education and Family Stabilization Course of at least four hours before final judgment, usually within 45 days of filing or service. Providers must be approved, at least one statewide online course must be available, and the court can excuse a party for good cause.

In California, the courts and the Justice Education Society run Families Change, which offers an online Parenting After Separation course. Check your county's local rules to see whether a course is required and which ones count.

Which courses will your court accept?

The honest answer: the one your court names. Where a course is mandatory, the requirement is usually tied to a specific program or an approved list, and you file a certificate of completion. A well-tested program you chose yourself may not satisfy that requirement. Before paying for anything:

Ask the court registry or clerk, or read the local rules, which course is required and in what form proof is filed.
If you want to use a different course, ask whether it is approved in advance, in writing.
Keep your certificate and file it on time.

Many parents do both: the required information course, and a skills program for their own family.

How to choose a course worth your time

Has it been tested? Ask whether there are published randomised trials, and what they measured in children.
Does it teach skills? Look for practice between sessions: one-on-one time, listening, calm discipline, keeping children out of conflict.
Can you finish it? Online and self-paced formats had much better completion in the New Beginnings research.
Is it right for your situation? Courses for families with high conflict or violence differ from general ones.
What does it cost? Government courses in BC and Quebec are free; check fees elsewhere, including refund terms.

What a course cannot do

A course is education, not therapy and not a safety plan. Florida's statute says its required course must not provide individual mental health therapy or legal advice, and must include information on spousal and child abuse with local agency contacts. If there is violence or coercive control in your family, a co-parenting course aimed at cooperation may not be appropriate for you; Alberta's course page points people experiencing abuse to separate help. Read our guide to separating when there is abuse.

A course also will not settle the plan itself. Once you have the skills, put the arrangements in writing with the Parenting Plan Builder, and if you are unsure where to start, the free FairWell assessment points you to the right next step.

When to get professional help

If your child shows distress that is not easing after a few months, see your doctor or a child therapist. A course for you is not a substitute for help for them.
If conflict stays high despite a course, ask about a parenting coordinator or mediation.
If a judge orders a course you cannot complete, because of language, literacy or safety, ask the court or a lawyer about exemptions. BC, for example, lists exemptions for language and literacy barriers.
Find mediators and family lawyers in the FairWell directory.

Sources

Common questions

Will my court accept an online parenting course I find myself?

Only if it is the course your court requires or is on its approved list. Mandatory courses are usually tied to a named program, such as Parenting After Separation in Alberta and BC or the Mandatory Information Program in Ontario. Ask the court registry or clerk before paying for a different course.

Is there a parenting course with real evidence that it helps children?

The New Beginnings Program has the strongest record we found. Its in-person version was tested in three randomised trials with follow-ups to fifteen years, and a 2022 trial of the online version reported less parent conflict and fewer anxiety and depression symptoms in children. The studies were run by the developers, so treat them as promising rather than final.

Are the government parenting courses free?

BC's PAS courses and Quebec's group information session are offered free by the provinces. Check Alberta's course registration page for current terms. Ontario's Mandatory Information Program is offered at family court locations and online through local providers. In the US, costs vary by state and provider, and Florida requires a sliding-fee option in each circuit where available.

Do both parents have to take the course?

Usually each party who must take it does so separately. Ontario's program is required of both parties in most court cases, and Quebec does not put former partners in the same session unless they ask. If there has been violence, tell the program or court so arrangements can keep you apart.

Turn what you learn into a plan your children can rely on

The Parenting Plan Builder walks you through schedules, handovers, communication and decision-making, with age-based guidance, so the skills from your course have a structure to live in.

Build a parenting plan

This guide is general information for parents, not medical, psychological or legal advice. It draws on published research and guidance from recognised health and family justice bodies, listed under Sources. Every child and family is different. If you are worried about your child or yourself, talk to your family doctor or a qualified professional. FairWell can help you find one through the professional directory. How we write and check our guides.