Co-parenting coaching program offered by The Prevention Network Programs - Riverside County - co-parenting, mediation, coaching, child custody, self help, divorce, shared custody survivor training

What is a Co-Parenting Coach?
What are the benefits of using a Co-Parenting Coach?
Is this really for me?
A Co-Parenting Coach for Riverside County
Costs
Insurance

What is a Co-Parenting Coach?

A Co-Parenting Coach is a neutral person who works with one or both parents to create effective solutions to custody or co-parenting problems before small issues turn into big (and often costly) ones. The average divorce is back in court within 12 months, often to deal with a custody-related dispute.

Here is a list of the top 20 things parents fight about:

Where the kids will live and when	Who pays for what and when
Holidays and vacations	On time pick-ups and drop offs
Not showing up for visitation	Being denied access to the children
Disparaging remarks about the other parent	Education and child-care
Moving – local or long distance	Resolving disputes
Using a child as a spy or a messenger	Grandparent and extended family access to child
Out of state or international travel	When parenting styles are very different
Consistency in raising kids	Special occasions and family events
The use of “mom” or “dad” to refer to step-parents	When parents have new partners or blend families
When a parent needs upgraded parenting skills	Making changes to a custody/co-parenting plan

What are the benefits of using a co-parenting coach?

On-call Access: Your coach is available by phone 7 days a week, and by appointment within 24 hours.

Expert Advice: Coaches are licensed therapists with extensive training in mediation, post-divorce adjustment, domestic violence and child mental health.

Continuity: You will be assigned one coach who will remain with you throughout your sessions.

Convenience: Consultations are typically conducted by phone or conference call – this works especially well for parents who are very busy or live out of town.

Research-based: We help parents using tools that have been proven effective for reducing conflict.

Peace of mind: It is comforting to know that there is someone who can help keep things from getting out of control. In many cases, this keeps problems from coming up in the first place.

Focus on keeping you out of court: Effective coaching helps parents see a dramatic reduction in their use of lawyers and the courts.

Updated letters for court: If a parent does have to go to court, we will gladly provide a letter summarizing their efforts to reduce divorce or separation conflict.

No long-term commitments: We work on the merit system. Parents are free to stop using our services at any time.

No hidden fees: Our services are billed only when used. There are no monthly fees, hidden administration charges or cancellation fees. When both parents participate we recommend they split the fees 50/50.

Tremendous savings: The costs associated with trying to resolve family-related disputes through the courts are astronomical. Over the course of a year a family might spend between $400-800 on a coach, compared with the $4000-8000+ that could be spent on legal fees, missed work, etc.

Is this really for me?

Consider working with a coach if:

You have been trying to co-parent your child and it is not going well,
Your Ex is a difficult person who is not making enough of an effort to co-parent,
Your situation is taking a heavy toll on you in terms of stress related exhaustion or illness, depleted finances, lost days of work, and difficulty parenting,
Your kids are showing obvious signs that they are not coping well,
You want to avoid (or are sick of) fighting through lawyers and the courts,
You would like someone you can quickly consult on how to handle a situation with when things are not going well,
You have been looking for a way to end the fighting without giving up, giving in or going broke.

A Co-Parenting Coach for Riverside County

Our coach in Riverside County is Toby Desjardins, LCSW. In addition to being on the Riverside County Superior Court Referral List of professionals who provide divorce education, family mediation and Co-Parenting counselling, Mr. Desjardins has specialty training in: child abuse, domestic violence, child custody evaluation, substance abuse, and post-divorce adjustment.

Toby Desjardins is a member of:

American Bar Association - Family Law and Alternative Dispute Resolution sections
Southern California Mediation Association
Association of Family, Community and Court Professionals (AFCC)
National Centre for Victims of Crime
California Board of Behavioural Sciences (lic#221569)

Costs
Getting everything started - including the setup appointment- is $100/person. There are no case maintenance costs, monthly fees, after-hours or weekend consultation fees, or cancellation fees.

Parents who attend our workshop will each receive a $50 coupon they can apply towards the set-up costs.

Parents can purchase individual or conference call consultation time in advance in 15 minute blocks for $22.50 or $11.25 each. Parent accounts are charged only when the service is used and unused time is banked for future consultations.

Insurance
Insurance companies do not pay for Co-Parenting services. Please follow-up with your provider if you have further questions. This should count as a health-care related deduction for tax purposes – to confirm this please consult a tax expert.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it best if both parents participate?
Yes. However, it is not uncommon for one parent to refuse to do so - at least initially. We suggest you help your Ex to learn about our service by asking him/her go to our website or give us a call. When people learn about our program they warm up to it quickly!

Can I do this on my own—without my Ex?
Absolutely. Not only that - you don’t need to tell anyone you are working with a coach if you don’t want to. No matter how poorly or how well you have handled things up to now - we can help you bring an end to the fighting and strengthen your relationship with everyone involved - especially your kids.