Most children benefit greatly from the program because they are given a safe place to talk about their experiences and feelings. When children attend our Family Workshop for Separated and Divorced Families, they meet other children/teens in similar family situations and immediately realize that they are not alone. Children have told us that this realization reduces their stress and makes them feel “normal” because they are not the only child in a separated or divorced family. Children learn new communication skills and engage in a variety of activities developed to help them express their thoughts and feelings. Children benefit most from the program when they attend all four sessions but this is not a requirement. Children ages 5-17 are eligible to attend. Childcare is not available for children under five years.

The structure of the Family Workshop for Separated and Divorced Families is similar to our face-to-face program, with the main difference being that everyone is participating virtually and not in person. Co-parents participate in separate classrooms (virtually through different Zoom Meetings) learning the same skills, strategies and techniques at the same time. Children ages 12 and older participate in the Teen Group Zoom Meeting during the Workshop time. Children ages 6-11 participate in Zoom Meetings during a different time/day than the parent and teen groups. Although 5 year old children typically participate in the program, we have found that the Zoom Meeting model is less effective with 5 year old children. For 5 year old children, we provide weekly program videos for children to watch with their parents. Prior to the start of the program, parents and children will receive their program workbooks in the mail. Children also receive program materials so they are able to complete projects at home. Whether in person or virtual, this program is interactive and parents and children actively participate throughout the program.

In both our virtual and in-person models, the parents may be attending the same Workshop, but they are in separate classrooms. They do not learn together.  It is strongly recommended that both parents attend the same workshop, but it is not required. Although co-parents are not in the same classroom, they learn the same co-parenting skills simultaneously throughout the Family Workshop. When a parent registers for the program, they are asked to provide contact information for their co-parent and we invite your co-parent to attend the same Family Workshop. When there is a restraining order (RO) or temporary restraining order (TRO) in effect between co-parents, we do not invite the co-parent. As a reminder, the program works best when the entire family is present, and you are encouraged to attend together. When reasonable to do so, it is highly suggested that co-parents communicate with each other and decide which Family Workshop series will work best for the entire family to attend. Please note, although we are unable to confirm if your co-parent is attending the same Family Workshop as you, if they are attending, you may see them in the Program Graduation in week 4 of the program. This may lead you to have various feelings, so please know we are here to support you. Attending the Graduation is a program requirement for all parents attending the Family Workshop. If both parents and children are attending the program, it is important for your children to hear a positive take-away or something positive that both their parents learned during the program.

In both our virtual and in-person models, the parents may be attending the same Workshop, but they are in separate classrooms. They do not learn together.  It is strongly recommended that both parents attend the same workshop, but it is not required. During the program, parents are asked to implement the skills between class meetings and the skills are most easily used when both parents are attending at the same time. Please note, although we are unable to confirm if your co-parent is attending the same Family Workshop as you, if they are attending, you may see them in the Program Graduation in week 4 of the program. This may lead you to have various feelings, so please know we are here to support you. Attending the Graduation is a program requirement for all parents attending the Family Workshop. If both parents and children are attending the program, it is important for your children to hear a positive take-away or something positive that both their parents learned during the program.

Yes. Our Family Workshop is recognized as a court approved 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 four sessions of the same Family Workshop in their entirety. The Family Workshop attendance policy states that if a client misses more than 15 minutes of a session, it is considered an absence. If you are unable to attend all four sessions of the same Family Workshop, you will not receive a certificate of completion; however, you are welcome to continue attending the remainder of the Family Workshop. If you prefer, we can transfer your paid tuition to a future Family Workshop of your choice that better meets your availability in attending all four sessions. Kids’ Turn San Diego does not offer “make up” sessions at our Family Workshops.

Parents are required to attend all four classes of the same Family Workshop in its entirety to receive a Certificate of Completion. Attendance and participation are monitored during the program. If a parent is absent from one class or misses more than 15 minutes, is more than 15 minutes late to a session or leaves the program early, the parent will NOT receive a Certificate of Completion but will receive a Letter of Attendance. For our virtual program, children are encouraged to attend all four sessions if they are with you. If they are not with you during the program and they are between 5-11, we will send you program videos for them to watch when they are with you. If they are 12 and older, we will send a zoom link to the teen directly and they may choose to participate in the zoom class. If you miss more than 15 minutes of any class, you will NOT receive a Certificate of Completion and will receive a Letter of Attendance. We do not offer make-up classes.

Yes. Our VIRTUAL Family Workshops for Separated and Divorced Families are an approved co-parenting program in San Diego County. The program is on the Co-Parenting Program Resource List on the San Diego Superior Court website. We began offering the Family Workshops in a live virtual setting, rather than in a live physical setting, at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. This VIRTUAL model ensures the health of all participants, our staff and the community. At this time, the program will continue to be offered virtually during most months. Whether virtual or in-person, this information is provided under the Family Workshop Schedule on our website. Although we are not meeting in person, the Family Workshop for Separated and Divorced Families has not been altered in any substantive way.

No. To participate in the Family Workshop, 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 Family Workshop at Kids’ Turn San Diego, they attended all four sessions in their entirety, submitted the required documents and are paid in full, they will be issued a Certificate of Completion within three weeks of completing the program, or sooner if they request us to provide the Certificate sooner. If a parent attended but did not attend all four sessions in their entirety, they will receive a Letter of Attendance. It is the participants’ responsibility to submit their Certificate or Letter of Attendance directly to the court.

Your new spouse or partner and other adults are NOT able to attend the Family Workshop Program with you. The Family Workshop is designed for parents and their children ages 5-17. To support other adults in the life of your children, we offer programs that others are invited to attend with you, such as the Continue the Conversation Class and The Graduate Program. For more information about program availability, please visit the “Our Programs” section of our website and look at “Other Programs”.

All adult participants must attend all four sessions of the same workshop in their entirety to receive a certificate of completion at the end of the program. Please note: the Family Workshop attendance policy states that if a client misses more than 15 minutes of a session, it is considered an absence. If you are unable to attend all four sessions of the same workshop, you will not receive a certificate of completion. Kids’ Turn San Diego does not offer “make up” sessions at our Workshops.

Should an emergency arise that prevents you from attending a session, please call our office (858-521-0027). We are happy to re-schedule you for our next available Family Workshop and will apply the tuition you already paid to the future Family Workshop.

All children who attend at least one session of a Workshop will receive a certificate of participation.

Yes. If parents are unable to pay the $400/parent tuition due to financial hardship, they may request a Family Workshop Tuition Reduction Scholarship Application by downloading the application on our website, located under the “Our Programs” section, “Family Workshop for Separated and Divorced Families” program. We have a limited number of Scholarships available and a deposit must be received to reserve your space and to attend the program. Scholarships do not cover 100% of the tuition. Completed applications must be received at least two weeks prior to the start of the Family Workshop. Late applications may be considered but scholarships will only be provided if funding is still available for that Workshop. Once the completed application is reviewed, we will notify you of your tuition amount within one week. Payment plans are available for those who request them.

Tuition is to be paid in full before the first class. If this is not possible, payment plans are available on request and must be arranged prior to the first class. Parents are required to pay a minimum deposit of $75 before the first class to participate in the program. Program tuition is $400/parent. A deposit must be received to attend the program.

If you are experiencing financial difficulties, we will establish a payment plan with you that best works for your situation. You may also complete and submit a Family Workshop Tuition Reduction Scholarship Application by downloading the application on our website, located under the “Our Programs” section, “Family Workshop for Separated and Divorced Families” program. We have a limited number of Scholarships available, and a deposit must be received to reserve your space and to attend the program. Scholarships do not cover 100% of the tuition. Completed applications must be received at least two weeks prior to the start of the Family Workshop. Late applications may be considered but scholarships will only be provided if funding is still available for that Workshop. Once the completed application is reviewed, we will notify you of your tuition amount within one week. Payment plans are available for those who request them. To request a payment plan, please contact vickiy@kidsturnsd.org and you will receive assistance in developing the payment plan.

You are welcome to attend as many Family Workshops as you wish. All returning participants are offered a $50 discount for any future Workshops they wish to attend. Many of our graduates attend future Workshops, either as a refresher for themselves or to give extra group support to their growing children. All participating children must have at least one parent participating in the same Family Workshop. In addition, if you would like to attend our high conflict co-parenting program Cooperative Co-Parenting, you are also eligible for the $50 discount.

Yes. Kids’ Turn San Diego offers Counseling for Children and Teens. The referral form is located under “Our Programs”, Counseling. We also offer Continue the Conversation Classes. This Class is a 2 hour advanced refresher class for Family Workshop Parent Graduates. New partners and spouses are invited to attend with you. These Classes are offered on the third Thursday of most months. We 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 the Family Workshop program. We also offer a court-approved high conflict co-parenting program called Cooperative Co-Parenting and a program for First Responder Families called Family First for First Responder Families. To learn more about our programs, visit “Our Programs” on our website.

Family Workshop deposits are non-refundable. If you made a deposit and decide not to attend the program in which you registered, your deposit can be applied toward the tuition of a future Family Workshop.

In 2024, Kids’ Turn San Diego will be offering virtual Family Workshops in all months except May 2024. The May 2024 Family Workshop will be offered in-person. We have been running the Family Workshop virtually since March 2020 and have found the program to be as effective and impactful as our in-person program model. Both the virtual and in-person program models are court-approved co-parenting programs.