Programs courts order by name · Children in Between
Children in Between Online: Which Courts Accept It and How It Works
The Center for Divorce Education’s online co-parenting course — required by name in Cuyahoga County, OH, and on court-approved lists in several other places.
Quick answer: what is Children in Between?
Children in Between is a co-parenting course published by the Center for Divorce Education, offered mainly online as Children in Between Online (CIBO). Some courts require it by name — Cuyahoga County, Ohio’s Domestic Relations Court accepts only this course for divorcing and separating parents — while others list it as one approved option or allow it only when a judge orders it. Whether it counts for you depends entirely on the court handling your case.
At a glance
| Who runs or publishes it | The Center for Divorce Education, a private provider (its Iowa court listings give an Ashland, Oregon address). The publisher says its program grew out of research by Dr. Donald Gordon and colleagues at Ohio University. |
|---|---|
| Format | Mainly an online, self-paced course; Cuyahoga County’s court page says it is available in English and Spanish. Oregon’s official list also shows locally taught Children in Between classes in some counties. |
| Length | The publisher describes a 4-hour co-parenting course, plus a separate 8-hour “Level 2” high-conflict course. Oregon’s court list describes the online version as taking about 3–5 hours. Take the version your order names. |
| Cost | No single published price. Fees are set by provider and court and vary — for example, Oregon’s official county-by-county list shows different fees for different Children in Between entries. Check the fee on your court’s list or the registration page before paying. |
| Online? | Online (some local in-person classes) |
| Where courts document it | Cuyahoga Co. OH; Cook Co. IL; Snohomish Co. WA; Oregon counties |
Which courts order or accept Children in Between
Here is where we found Children in Between named in an official court or state source, and what that source says. A court that lists a program satisfies its own requirement with it — that does not make it valid for every court.
Cuyahoga County (Cleveland), Ohio
Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations Division
Under the court’s Local Rule 34, all parents of minor children ending a marriage or legally separating must complete a court-approved divorce seminar. The court names Children In Between from the Center for Divorce Education, an online program in English and Spanish, and says the certificate must be filed with the Clerk of Courts two weeks before the final hearing.
Source: Cuyahoga County Domestic Relations Court — Parenting Education
Cook County (Chicago), Illinois
Circuit Court of Cook County, Domestic Relations Division
Cook County’s required parent-education class, Focus on Children, is in person. The court says its Domestic Relations Division has authorized Children In Between Online (CIBO) as an alternative to the in-person class only “when ordered by the court,” and parents ordered into mediation or emergency intervention must also complete the in-person class.
Snohomish County (Everett), Washington
Snohomish County Superior Court
The county’s parenting-seminar page lists Children in Between as one of two approved parenting seminars (the other is Successful Co-Parenting) for parties who must attend a seminar before a parenting plan is entered under local rule 94.04.
Source: Snohomish County Superior Court — Parenting Seminars
Oregon (many counties)
Oregon Judicial Department
The Oregon Judicial Department’s statewide list of parent-education classes by county (updated October 2, 2024) shows Children in Between — online, and in some counties taught locally — in numerous county entries, sometimes as the listed class and sometimes as an online alternative.
Source: Oregon Judicial Department — Parent Education Classes by County (PDF, updated 10/2/24)
Iowa (Judicial Districts 1 and 5)
Iowa Judicial Branch
The First and Fifth Judicial District lists of recognized programs include the Center for Divorce Education’s online “Children in the Middle Class” (standard and high-conflict versions, English and Spanish).
Source: Iowa First Judicial District — recognized programs list (PDF, Dec. 2024); Iowa Fifth Judicial District — recognized programs list (PDF, Aug. 2026)
Clark County (Las Vegas), Nevada
Eighth Judicial District Court, Family Division
The court’s Seminar for Separating Parents flyer (revised 2020) lists the Center for Divorce Education among its online seminar providers.
Source: Eighth Judicial District Court (NV) — Seminar for Separating Parents flyer (PDF, rev. 2020)
The certificate and how to file it
The publisher says you can print, download or email your certificate of completion as soon as you finish. Filing is set by your court — in Cuyahoga County, for example, the certificate goes to the Clerk of Courts two weeks before the final hearing.
Confirm your court accepts Children in Between
- Acceptance is court by court. A court that lists Children in Between satisfies its own requirement with it; that does not make it acceptable everywhere.
- Some courts accept it only with a judge’s order. In Cook County, CIBO substitutes for the in-person class only when the court orders it.
- Check which version your order names. The publisher sells a standard 4-hour course and a separate 8-hour high-conflict course.
- Use the registration link on your court’s own page or list where one is given (Cuyahoga’s court page links to a Cuyahoga-specific registration page).
Before you enroll or pay: the court handling your case decides which program counts. Match the exact program name, version and format on your order, and if anything is unclear, ask the clerk, your attorney, or the court office named in your order. A completed class the court does not accept does not satisfy the order. This page is general information, not legal advice.
What the publisher says
These statements come from the program’s own website. We have not independently verified them, and they are not a statement by any court.
- The course has been accepted in more than 250 judicial districts and is approved statewide in Florida, New York, Minnesota and Nebraska.
- The program has been listed on SAMHSA’s National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices.
- Dr. Gordon adapted the material into an interactive online format in 2007.
Sources
- Cuyahoga County Domestic Relations Court — Parenting Education
- Circuit Court of Cook County — Parent Education
- Snohomish County Superior Court — Parenting Seminars
- Oregon Judicial Department — Parent Education Classes by County (PDF, updated 10/2/24)
- Iowa First Judicial District — recognized programs list (PDF, Dec. 2024)
- Iowa Fifth Judicial District — recognized programs list (PDF, Aug. 2026)
- Eighth Judicial District Court (NV) — Seminar for Separating Parents flyer (PDF, rev. 2020)
- The Center for Divorce Education — parent program page (publisher)
- The Center for Divorce Education — home page (publisher)
Source & accuracy: every fact on this page comes from the official court or state sources above, or — where labeled — from the program publisher’s own website. Last reviewed 2026-09-22. Requirements, provider lists and fees change, so confirm with your court before you enroll or pay. We are an independent directory: we do not run this program, we are not affiliated with or endorsed by its publisher or any court, and none of these links are affiliate links. Program names are used only to identify the programs and belong to their respective owners.