MULTIMEDIA DIVORCE EDUCATION

This application proposes development of KidCare for Co-Parents, an interactive, multimedia based prevention program designed to help parents facilitate their children's adjustment to parental divorce or separation. Court mandated parenting education programs have become increasingly commonplace in recent years. Although these programs are enjoying widespread national support, a number of problems with them nave been identified, including lack of tailoring, inadequate follow-up, limited accessibility, inconsistent delivery, insensitivity to domestic violence, and minimal experimental evaluation. As part of a larger NIDA-funded suite of parenting education programs currently under development at Inflexxion, KidCare for Co-Parents is designed to address these known limitations. The program will consist of an interactive, multimedia-based parenting education curriculum, a companion Website, and a take-home handbook. Phase I involved proof of concept research to demonstrate product feasibility. Phase II will involve production and usability testing of a fully functional KidCare for Co-Parents, as well as a field test and acceptance study to compare program efficacy and satisfaction levels relative to currently mandated parenting education options. If proven effective, court-systems and parents alike would likely view KidCare for Co-Parents as a desirable and cost-effective means of reducing the well-known risks associated with divorce and other forms of parental separation.