Originally called Parents Turn, Cooperative Parenting, San Diego was created in 2000 by Dr. Shari Delisle, the Founder of Kids’ Turn San Diego. Beyond offering the Family Workshop for Separated and Divorced Families at KTSD, Dr. Delisle recognized that parents learn differently and in order to bring more peace between parents going through separation, divorce and custody issues, she designed a co-parenting program for parents to attend individually and without their children. For almost 20 years this tradition has continued, with Tina Mears becoming Executive Director of Cooperative Parenting San Diego in 2012. In 2022, the program transitioned to Kids’ Turn San Diego and was renamed to Cooperative Co-Parenting San Diego. This respected program is recommended by Judges, Family Court Counselors, attorneys, mediators and therapists. Prior to the pandemic, the program was offered in multiple locations around San Diego County in order to reach the many participants in need of education. The Classes are currently offered virtually through Zoom Telehealth.  This program has graduated and improved the lives of thousands of participants. Co-parenting relationships last a lifetime. This program exists to help parents decrease hostility and increase the peace between each other.

The purpose the Cooperative Co-Parenting Program is to increase awareness and practice of positive co-parenting approaches through a group setting that allows for the time and space for parents to learn about emotional triggers and ways to avoid them. It is our commitment to honor each circumstance, educate in a non-judgmental way and provide information that will help bridge the gap between two homes. We know that through loss, anger and pain, positive changes are possible, no matter how desperate everyone feels. Kids’ Turn San Diego continues to carry on the Cooperative Co-Parenting tradition of supporting parents through their moments of sorrow and triumph and restoring a peaceful transition from one home to two. Kids’ Turn San Diego also offers our Family Workshops for Separated and Divorced Families, a co-parenting program for the whole family, including children ages 5-17 and their parents.

Cooperative Co-Parenting is court approved high conflict co-parenting program in San Diego County for both our in-person and virtual programs and we are listed on the Co-Parenting Program Resource List on the San Diego Superior Court website. Please note: To receive a certificate of completion, adult participants must attend all three sessions of the same Class in their entirety. The Cooperative Co-Parenting attendance policy states that if a client misses more than 30 minutes of a session, it is considered an absence. If you are unable to attend all three sessions of the same Class, you will not receive a certificate of completion; however, you are welcome to continue attending the remainder of the Cooperative Co-Parenting Class. If you prefer, we can transfer your paid tuition to a future Class of your choice that better meets your availability in attending all three sessions. Kids’ Turn San Diego does not offer “make up” sessions at our Cooperative Co-Parenting Program.

No. To participate in the Cooperative Co-Parenting Program, parents are required to sign a consent form that clearly waives their right to request court documentation or letters for the court, meaning that Kids’ Turn San Diego staff MAY NOT be subpoenaed to testify in divorce or custody proceedings. If a parent is ordered to attend the Cooperative Co-Parenting Program at Kids’ Turn San Diego, they will be issued a certificate of completion on the last session of the Class upon satisfactory completion of the program. It is the participants’ responsibility to submit their certificate directly to the court.

No. This Class is only for parents. Co-parents are not invited to attend and no two co-parents are permitted to attend the same Class. If you would like to attend our co-parenting program with your children and co-parent, please register for our Family Workshop for Separated and Divorced Families.

Yes. This program is a court-approved co-parenting program. It is designated as a high conflict co-parenting program but parents with any conflict level are invited to participate.

Yes, however, we are mandated reporters and are required to report suspected child abuse, neglect, exposure to domestic violence, elder abuse and intent to harm oneself or others. We do NOT report to the Superior Court of San Diego and parents are responsible for submitting their certificate of completion if they are court ordered to attend the program.

To receive a certificate of completion, participants must attend all three sessions of the same Class in their entirety. The Cooperative Co-Parenting attendance policy states that if a client misses more than 30 minutes of a session, it is considered an absence. If you arrive late in weeks two or three and stay for the entire session, you will be given the opportunity to share your homework at the end of the session, so you get full credit for that session. If you are unable to attend all three sessions of the same Class, you will not receive a certificate of completion and will receive a letter of attendance. If you must be absent for a session, you may either accept the letter of attendance or request to transfer to a future Class. If you transfer, your paid tuition will transfer with you. Kids’ Turn San Diego does not offer “make up” sessions for our Cooperative Co-Parenting Program.

Yes, payments can be made by others on your behalf. If paying by credit card on our website, please email us at info@kidsturnsd.org to notify us of the payment. Please be sure to include your name, the Cooperative Co-Parenting Class Number you are attending, the dollar amount of the payment and the person’s name who is making the payment for you. If the payment is being made via check in the mail, please be sure to include your name and Cooperative Co-Parenting Class Number in the memo line of the check. Please note, we do accept checks on the last day of the Class. Tuition must be paid in full to receive your Certificate of Completion.

In this program, you will learn about your emotional and thought triggers, what they are and how to avoid them. A core skill of this program is that you have no control over others, only yourself, so although we do not cover ways for you to change your co-parent and their behaviors, you will learn strategies of how to manage yourself when co-parenting with the other person. 

Yes. Kids’ Turn San Diego offers Counseling for Children and Teens. The referral form is located under “What We Do”, Counseling. We also offer Continue the Conversation Classes for parents who graduated from our co-parenting programs. This Class is a 2-hour advanced refresher class for program graduates and new partners and spouses are invited to attend. These Classes are offered on the third Thursday of most months. We also offer The Graduate Program for parent graduates who would like some one-on-one support with a Group Leader who is also a licensed clinician to focus on very specific situations and how to apply the skills parents learned in our co-parenting programs. To learn more about our programs, visit “What We Do”, Other Programs.