Children: Crider Kids First

Program for divorcing parents that help parents understand emotional issues faced by children during divorce. This parenting program provides divorcing families with the tools to ensure that children rebound from divorce while minimizing pressures. Couples, who can no longer live together, find that they must still remain attached through their individual bonds to their children. The Crider Kids First program is one session, two-hours in length. This program provides the first step in ensuring the best outcome for children as they learn to live with the divorce of their parents.

Resources for Parents
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Tips: It is extremely important that children are enabled to have an unhampered relationship with both parents. They need this to make the adjustment to living in two homes, as well as to negotiate their normal developmental and psychological growth. Their needs and rights should be foremost in any decisions regarding parenting time and decision-making.

Children of Divorce Bill of Rights

  • The right to be treated as important human beings, with unique feelings, ideas, desires and not as a source of argument between parents.
  • The right to a continuing relationship with both parents and the freedom to receive love from and express love for both.
  • The right to express love and affection for each parent without having to stifle that love because of fear of disapproval by the other parent.
  • The right to know that their parents' decision to divorce is not their responsibility and that they will live with one parent and visit the other parent.
  • The right to continuing care and guidance from both parents.
  • The right to honest answers to questions about the changing family relationships.
  • The right to know and appreciate what is good in each parent without one parent degrading the other.
  • The right to have a relaxed, secure relationship with both parents without being placed in a position to manipulate one parent against the other.
  • The right to have the custodial parent not undermine visitation by suggesting tempting alternatives or by threatening to withhold visitation as a punishment for the children's wrongdoing.
  • The right to be able to experience regular and consistent visitation and the right to know the reason for a cancelled visit.

Dane County Family Counseling Service of Madison, Wisconsin