Browsing by Author "Olson, Kjersti"

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    After the Flood: Rushford's New Chapter
    (University of Minnesota Extension, Center for Family Development, 2011) Heins, Rosemary K; Onstad, Phyllis A; Croymans, Sara; Marczak, Mary S; Olson, Kjersti; Olson, Patricia D; Coffee, Kimberly A
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    Children in Common: Ensuring the Emotional Well-being of Children When Parenting Apart
    (St. Paul, MN: University of Minnesota Extension, Children, Youth and Family Consortium, 2015-10) McCann, Ellie; Olson, Kjersti; Hall, Eugene; Giles, Maisha; Onell, Stephen; McCullough, Rose; McGuire, Jenifer; Michaels, Cari
    Despite the growing literature on coparenting and divorce education interventions, little has been written about the practice of delivering courtmandated parent education programs for both divorced and unmarried parents living apart. Through its sustained investment in supporting Minnesota families affected by divorce or separation with its Parents Forever™1 parent education program and its partnership with Hennepin County’s Co-parent Court2 project, University of Minnesota Extension is able to explore the intersection of research about coparenting with the practice of court-mandated parent education programs for both divorcing and separating nevermarried parents. Thus, this article summarizes the latest research findings on selected coparenting issues that have practical importance to both divorcing and nevermarried parents living apart. This article also highlights recent research on the practice of parent education as it affects both divorcing and separated never-married parents, as well as a foundational discussion of coparenting issues and parent-education practice from the experiences and perspectives of parent-education stakeholders. We, the authors, also have included illustrative quotations from stakeholders in the Parents Forever™ program and in Hennepin County Coparent Court — quotations cited in recent studies of the Parents Forever™ program (PF) (Olson, Brady & Marzcak, 2012) and Co-parent Court (CPC) (Hardman, Ruhland & Becher, 2014).
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    Parents Forever On-line: How Much Change is Possible?
    (St. Paul, MN: University of Minnesota Extension, 2012-10) Olson, Kjersti; Joeng, Ju Ri
    Parents Forever is an educational program developed by University of Minnesota Extension to support families experiencing separation and divorce. For over 20 years, it has helped Minnesotans learn to voluntarily settle divorce and separation-related disputes, decrease child stress, and improve divorcing adults’ communication and problem solving skills so their divorce costs them and the state’s legal system less time and money. In addition to in-person workshops in most of the state, Parents Forever became available online in early 2012. This poster highlights the effectiveness of the online format in creating behavioral and attitudinal change. Initial pre- and post-test survey results indicate that divorcing adults who took the internet-based intervention showed significant changes in: encouraging their children to maintain a close relationship with their other parent, how often they talk to their children about the feelings they are experiencing in the divorce, communicating more successfully with the other parent, and decreased anger at the other parent. The “Parents Forever Online: How much change is possible?” poster is at the intersection of “Use of Technology and Digitizing Extension” and “Program Evaluation” as it shares how a long-standing Extension program was leveraged through new technologies to produce promising program outcomes that reflect our continued commitment to Minnesota families in transition.