(a) The Judicial Department shall establish a parenting education program for parties involved in any action before the Superior Court under section
46b-1, except actions brought under section
46b-15 and chapter 815t. For the purposes of this section, “parenting education program” means a course designed by the Judicial Department to educate persons, including unmarried parents, on the impact on children of the restructuring of families. The course shall include, but not be limited to, information on the developmental stages of children, adjustment of children to parental separation, dispute resolution and conflict management, guidelines for visitation, stress reduction in children and cooperative parenting.
(b) The court shall order any party to an action specified in subsection (a) of this section to participate in such program whenever a minor child is involved in such action unless (1) the parties agree, subject to the approval of the court, not to participate in such program, (2) the court, on motion, determines that participation is not deemed necessary, or (3) the parties select and participate in a comparable parenting education program. A family support magistrate may order parties involved in any action before the Family Support Magistrate Division to participate in such parenting education program, upon a finding that such participation is necessary and provided both parties are present when such order is issued. No party shall be required to participate in such program more than once. A party shall be deemed to have satisfactorily completed such program upon certification by the service provider of the program.
(c) The Judicial Department shall, by contract with service providers, make available the parenting education program and shall certify to the court the results of each party's participation in the program.
(d) Any person who is ordered to participate in a parenting education program shall pay directly to the service provider a participation fee, except that no person may be excluded from such program for inability to pay such fee. Any contract entered into between the Judicial Department and the service provider pursuant to subsection (c) of this section shall include a fee schedule and provisions requiring service providers to allow persons who are indigent or unable to pay to participate in such program and shall provide that all costs of such program shall be covered by the revenue generated from participants' fees. The total cost for such program shall not exceed two hundred dollars per person. Such amount shall be indexed annually to reflect the rate of inflation. The program shall not exceed a total of ten hours.
(e) Any service provider under contract with the Judicial Department pursuant to this section shall provide safety and security for participants in the program, including victims of family violence.
(P.A. 93-319, S. 1, 4; May 25 Sp. Sess. P.A. 94-1, S. 99, 130; June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-7, S. 35, 38; P.A. 02-132, S. 16.)
History: P.A. 93-319 effective January 1, 1994, and applicable to actions pending on, or filed on or after, that date; May 25 Sp. Sess. P.A. 94-1 amended Subsec. (a) by making technical change, effective July 1, 1994; June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-7 amended Subsec. (a) by adding “including unmarried parents” and amended Subsec. (b) by adding provision that family support magistrates may order parties to participate in parenting education program if participation is necessary and both parties are present, effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 02-132 replaced “Family Division” with “Judicial Department” throughout and made technical changes in Subsecs. (a) and (b).
Statute does not infringe on parents' fundamental right to exercise care, custody and control over their children and, under rational basis review, is rationally related to a legitimate government purpose, that is, the state's legitimate interest in promoting the welfare of children. 289 C. 362.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in
37
cases (
14 in the last 5 years), 1998–2026 · leading case:
Dutkiewicz v. Dutkiewicz, 957 A.2d 821 (Conn. 2008).
Dutkiewicz v. Dutkiewicz, 957 A.2d 821 (Conn. 2008).
· cites it 30× “Dutkiewicz, *364 appeals 1 from the trial court’s order that the defendant attend a parenting education program, as authorized by General Statutes § 46b-69b 2 and Practice Book § 25- *365 5 (a) (6).”
Maturo v. Maturo, 995 A.2d 1 (Conn. 2010).
· cites it 2× “ions of an abuser, if any domestic violence has occurred between the parents or between a parent and another individual or the child; (15) whether the child or a sibling of the child has been abused or neglected, as defined respectively in section 46b-120; and (16) whether the…”
Fish v. Fish, 939 A.2d 1040 (Conn. 2008).
· cites it 2× “y unless the proposed custodial arrangement is not in the best interests of the child; (13) the child's cultural background; (14) the effect on the child of the actions of an abuser, if any domestic violence has occurred between the parents or between a parent and another…”
Butts v. Bysiewicz, 5 A.3d 932 (Conn. 2010).
· cites it 2× “o the penalties provided for false statement”); General Statutes § 14-227b (a) (“[a]ny person who operates a motor vehicle in this state shall be deemed to have given such person’s consent to a chemical analysis of such person’s blood, breath or urine and, if such person is a…”
Nelson v. Nelson, 1998 OK 10, 954 P.2d 1219.
· cites it 2× “13 § 1507 (1996); Conn. Gen.Stat. Ann. § 46b-69b (1994); Fla.”
Doe v. Doe, 710 A.2d 1297 (Conn. 1998).
· cites it 2× “g an intelligent preference, provided in making the initial order the court may take into consideration the causes for dissolution of the marriage or legal separation if such causes are relevant in a determination of the best interests of the child and (2) consider whether the…”
DiGiovanna v. St. George, 12 A.3d 900 (Conn. 2011).
· cites it 2× “ions of an abuser, if any domestic violence has occurred between the parents or between a parent and another individual or the child; (15) whether the child or a sibling of the child has been abused or neglected, as defined respectively in section 46b-120; and (16) whether the…”
Zilkha v. Zilkha, 183 A.3d 64 (Conn. App. Ct. 2018).
“ions of an abuser, if any domestic violence has occurred between the parents or between a parent and another individual or the child; (15) whether the child or a sibling of the child has been abused or neglected, as defined respectively in section 46b-120; and (16) whether the…”
Petrov v. Gueorguieva, 146 A.3d 26 (Conn. App. Ct. 2016).
“ions of an abuser, if any domestic violence has occurred between the parents or between a parent and another individual or the child; (15) whether the child or a sibling of the child has been abused or neglected, as defined respectively in section 46b-120; and (16) whether the…”
Coleman v. Bembridge, 263 A.3d 403 (Conn. App. Ct. 2021).
“’’ 11 Earlier in its decision, the court stated that ‘‘upon the credible evidence in this trial the court is concerned about the plaintiff’s dependence on [intoxicating] substances.”
Malave v. Ortiz, 970 A.2d 743 (Conn. App. Ct. 2009).
“ions of an abuser, if any domestic violence has occurred between the parents or between a parent and another individual or the child; (15) whether the child or a sibling of the child has been abused or neglected, as defined respectively in section 46b-120; and (16) whether the…”
Lederle v. Spivey, 965 A.2d 621 (Conn. App. Ct. 2009).
“ctions of an abuser, if any domestic violence has occurred between the parents or between aparent and another individual or the child; (15) whether the child or a sibling of the child has been abused or neglected, as defined respectively in section 46b-120; and (16) whether the…”
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