Cooperative Parenting Plan Session will be the couples' first step in participation in Encouraging Family Foundations. This one-hour Cooperative Parenting Plan session will provide a foundation of cooperative parenting and family goal setting for participation in the Encouraging Family Foundations program, and to encourage parents to directly apply what they are about to learn in the classes to their personal lives through the lens of their parenting plan. Partners are welcomed to the Dispute Resolution Center by a Parent Coach who begins with an overview of the EFF program, explaining the identified goals of the session and engaging the parents in a motivating planning session.

What do parents do?

• Goal Ladder: the Parent Coach walks parents through the sheet and they have a conversation where parents identify and write down ten specific goals for their child. Parents are asked to think about what they would like to be able to say about their child when he/she turns 18.
• Cooperative Parenting - Values and Goals: Each parent identifies their personal values and goals. They talk about areas that are child and relationship skills focused. The Parent Coach facilitates a conversation with them about their responses and works with the parents to develop goals based on that conversation.
• Family Plan: Parents are asked what they want their child to say about them when he/she becomes 18. Using the tools and conversation, parents work together to create a parenting statement, which is similar to a mission statement or what they want for their baby and their family. Next, parents set 4 goals they want to work on in their EFF series.

The Parent Coach will wrap-up and is there to answer any questions about the upcoming series or offer other referrals. The Parent Coach will also talk to parents about Mediation Services if needed, and let parents know about the free opportunity to continue the parenting planning process through mediation at the Dispute Resolution Center.