Programs courts order by name · Children in the Middle
Children in the Middle Class: Who Teaches It and Your Online Options
The name Iowa’s judicial districts use for the court-approved course parents must take in custody and visitation cases — taught by many recognized providers.
Quick answer: what is Children in the Middle?
“Children in the Middle” is the name Iowa’s judicial districts use for the court-approved course that Iowa Code 598.15 requires in any case involving child custody or visitation. It is not one company’s single class: each judicial district certifies its own list of recognized providers — community colleges, hospitals, counseling practices and online companies — and many offer an online or live-webinar version. Take a course from your district’s list and file your certificate of completion before the final decree.
At a glance
| Who runs or publishes it | Many providers. Iowa Code 598.15(5) makes each judicial district certify approved courses, which may be offered by public or private entities. District lists name community colleges, hospitals, counseling centers and online providers, including the Center for Divorce Education. |
|---|---|
| Format | In person, live webinar, or online depending on the provider. District 5’s August 2026 list marks many providers as offering an online or webinar course, and one provider offers the course in Burma dialects. District 1’s December 2024 list includes several online-only providers. |
| Length | Not fixed by statute. Each approved provider sets its own session length — for example, one District 5 provider lists a 5:30–8:30 pm session. Confirm the length when you register. |
| Cost | Set by each provider; Iowa Code 598.15(2) makes each party responsible for arranging and paying for the course. Some providers print a fee on District 5’s list (for example, $40). |
| Online? | Often — if the provider is on your district’s list |
| Where courts document it | Iowa (district-recognized providers) |
Which courts order or accept Children in the Middle
Here is where we found Children in the Middle 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.
Iowa (statewide requirement)
Iowa Legislature — Iowa Code § 598.15
The parties to any action involving child custody or visitation must participate in a court-approved course within 45 days of service of the notice and petition (or application for modification). A final decree or order will not be entered until they comply, unless the court waives or delays it for good cause, and each party must submit certification of completion to the court.
Iowa Fifth Judicial District (Des Moines area)
Iowa Judicial Branch, District 5
District 5’s family law page names “Children in the Middle” and “Children Cope with Divorce” as course examples and links its list of “recognized programs for meeting co-parenting & Children in the Middle requirements” (updated August 2026). The page also notes a separate workshop requirement for children ages 6–16 in Polk County, expanding to Dallas and Warren Counties.
Source: Iowa Judicial Branch — District 5 Family Law Mediation page; Iowa Fifth Judicial District — recognized programs list (PDF, Aug. 2026)
Iowa First Judicial District (Waterloo, Dubuque area)
Iowa Judicial Branch, District 1
District 1 publishes its own list of recognized programs for meeting co-parenting and Children in the Middle requirements (updated December 2024), including an in-person community-college course and several online-only providers.
Source: Iowa First Judicial District — recognized programs list (PDF, Dec. 2024)
The certificate and how to file it
Iowa Code 598.15(3) requires each party to submit certification of completion of the course to the court before a final decree is granted or an order entered, unless the course was waived or delayed for good cause. Your provider issues the certificate; file it in your case.
Confirm your court accepts Children in the Middle
- Use your own judicial district’s list. Approval is certified district by district, so check the list for the district where your case is filed — not a list from another district or a provider’s own website.
- Match the course type to your case. District 5 notes that its “After the Storm” program is approved for modification and post-decree contempt cases but is not certified as a pre-decree Children in the Middle program.
- A generic online parenting class that is not on your district’s list does not satisfy Iowa Code 598.15, even if it uses similar wording.
- Watch the 45-day clock, which runs from service of the petition or application. See our Iowa page for waivers and deadlines.
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 Center for Divorce Education says its online course (sold as Children in Between Online) is accepted by courts in many Iowa counties, and that some courts require advance permission before you enroll in an online course.
Sources
- Iowa Code § 598.15 (Iowa Legislature, PDF)
- Iowa Judicial Branch — District 5 Family Law Mediation page
- Iowa Fifth Judicial District — recognized programs list (PDF, Aug. 2026)
- Iowa First Judicial District — recognized programs list (PDF, Dec. 2024)
- The Center for Divorce Education — Iowa 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.