How many co-parenting resources are in Arkansas?

Women's Corner tracks 12 co-parenting resources for women in Arkansas.

Are co-parenting resources in Arkansas free?

12 of the 12 listed co-parenting resources in Arkansas are explicitly free or low-cost.

Which cities in Arkansas have co-parenting resources?

Listings span cities including Bentonville, Little Rock.

What are some examples of co-parenting resources in Arkansas?

Featured entries include University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension — Parenting, Benton County Family Mediation, Center for Arkansas Legal Services — Co-Parenting, Arkansas Children's Hospital — Family Support, Our Family Wizard.

Do these listings include phone numbers?

4 of 12 Arkansas co-parenting listings include phone numbers.

Is a parenting class required for divorce?

In most states, yes — a 4–6 hour court-approved co-parenting class ($25–$75, often online) is required before any divorce or custody order involving minor children is finalized. Check your state court's approved provider list. The class is gender-neutral and focuses on protecting kids from conflict.

What's mediation and do I have to do it?

Mediation is a confidential negotiation with a neutral third party to agree on a parenting plan. Most states require at least one mediation session before contested custody hearings. It's faster, cheaper, and less traumatic than litigation. If there's domestic violence history, you can request to opt out or have separate-room mediation.

Which co-parenting app should I use?

OurFamilyWizard, Talking Parents, and 2Houses are accepted as evidence in court in most US jurisdictions. They provide tamper-proof message logs, shared calendars, expense tracking, and a tone-monitoring feature. If your ex is abusive or harassing, these apps create a documented record judges will read.

How do I co-parent with someone who was abusive?

Use parallel parenting instead of cooperative co-parenting — minimize contact, use a court-monitored app for all communication, exchange the child at a neutral location or police station, and stick strictly to the written parenting plan. Document everything. Many states allow supervised exchanges through Safe Exchange programs at no cost.

Best Co-Parenting in Arkansas — 12 resources

About Co-Parenting for Women

Co-parenting programs help separated and divorced mothers share custody constructively and document communication. Most states require court-ordered parent education (often called 'children first' or 'co-parenting' classes) before finalizing a divorce or custody order involving minor children — typically 4–6 hours, online or in person, costing 5–$75. Court-based mediation programs are often free or sliding-scale and certified through state mediation councils. Digital tools like OurFamilyWizard, Talking Parents, and 2Houses provide court-admissible message logs, shared calendars, and expense tracking that family judges increasingly require in high-conflict cases. This directory includes state-required classes, mediators, and co-parenting apps.

Co-Parenting in Arkansas

Arkansas circuit courts hear family law matters in all 75 counties, with the Office of Child Support Enforcement under the Department of Finance and Administration. Little Rock, Fort Smith, Fayetteville, and Springdale are the largest metros. Legal Aid of Arkansas, the Center for Arkansas Legal Services, and the Arkansas Coalition Against Domestic Violence provide help to women.

12 Resources

1. University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension — Parenting — Free

The U of A Cooperative Extension Service has agents in all 75 Arkansas counties, many of whom deliver the Co-Parenting for Resilience class. The course is approved by several Arkansas circuit judges as fulfilling parent-education requirements before a contested custody hearing. Sessions are offered both in person at county extension offices and online. Free for Arkansas residents.

501-671-2000 · Statewide Service · Mon-Fri 8am-5pm · Visit Website

2. Benton County Family Mediation — Free

Benton County's family-court mediation program serves Bentonville, Rogers, Bella Vista, and Siloam Springs. Mediators on the certified list facilitate sessions where parents work out parenting time, holiday schedules, and decision-making before the issues go to a contested trial. Sessions are typically two to three hours; if both parents agree the mediator drafts an agreed order for the judge's signature.

479-271-1013 · Bentonville, AR 72712 · Mon-Fri 8am-4:30pm

3. Center for Arkansas Legal Services — Co-Parenting — Free

CALS is the LSC-funded legal aid program covering the southern 44 Arkansas counties, headquartered on West Capitol Avenue in Little Rock. Their family law team helps qualifying mothers negotiate parenting plans, including parenting-time schedules and tie-breaker decision authority. Income guidelines and conflict checks apply. Phone intake screens for case fit before assigning to a staff attorney or volunteer.

800-950-5817 · 303 W Capitol Ave Suite 200, Little Rock, AR 72201 · Mon-Fri 8:30am-5pm · Visit Website

4. Arkansas Children's Hospital — Family Support — Free

Arkansas Children's Hospital on Children's Way in Little Rock includes a family support and behavioral health team that helps separated parents coordinate care for children with complex medical or developmental needs. Social workers help families build communication routines that keep both parents informed about appointments and medications, which is often a flashpoint in high-conflict co-parenting.

501-364-1100 · 1 Children's Way, Little Rock, AR 72202 · Mon-Fri 8am-5pm · Visit Website

5. Our Family Wizard — Free

Our Family Wizard is the most established co-parenting communication app and is named in many Arkansas custody orders as the required platform. Features include a tone meter that flags hostile language before messages send, a shared calendar with sync to phone calendars, expense tracking, and a journal exportable to court. Records cannot be edited or deleted, which is why judges accept screenshots as evidence.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

6. TalkingParents — Free

TalkingParents creates an unalterable record of all messages, calls, and shared files between co-parents, which Arkansas judges accept as documentation. The free tier includes secure messaging; the paid tier adds recorded calls, accountable payments, and unlimited storage. Useful as a defensive tool when one parent denies receiving information about appointments or schedule changes.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

7. AppClose — Free

AppClose is a free co-parenting app with shared calendars, secure messaging, expense reimbursement requests, and parenting-plan storage. Unlike Our Family Wizard, it carries no subscription fee, which makes it a workable choice for mothers who can't get the other parent to agree to a paid platform. Records export as PDF for court use.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

8. 2houses — Free

2houses is a co-parenting platform built around a shared calendar, shared expense ledger, and a private journal that tracks doctor visits, school events, and medication. Particularly useful for families coordinating between two households with different routines. Free trial available; paid subscription required for full feature access.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

9. Coparenter — Free

Coparenter combines secure messaging and shared calendars with on-demand mediation: when parents disagree, either can request a real-time chat with a trained mediator who tries to resolve the dispute before it escalates. Subscription-based; useful for parents who haven't been ordered into formal mediation but want a quick neutral voice.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

10. Up to Parents — Free

UpToParents.org is a free online course that family-court judges in many states, including some Arkansas circuits, accept as fulfilling parent-education requirements. The course focuses on shifting parents away from adversarial framing and toward shared focus on children's needs. Completion certificates are emailed automatically after the final module.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

11. Cozi Family Organizer — Free

Cozi is a free family-calendar app not designed specifically for co-parenting but widely used to coordinate kids' schedules across households. The shared calendar, grocery list, and to-do list features work well when both parents can communicate civilly. Less court-defensible than Our Family Wizard or TalkingParents because messages can be edited or deleted.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

12. Custody X Change — Free

Custody X Change is software that helps parents and attorneys draft parenting plans, calculate parenting-time percentages, and visualize different custody schedules. Useful at the planning stage of a custody case for mothers who want to propose a specific schedule with hard numbers attached. Subscription-based with a free trial.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

Frequently Asked

How many co-parenting resources are in Arkansas?: Women's Corner tracks 12 co-parenting resources for women in Arkansas.
Are co-parenting resources in Arkansas free?: 12 of the 12 listed co-parenting resources in Arkansas are explicitly free or low-cost.
Which cities in Arkansas have co-parenting resources?: Listings span cities including Bentonville, Little Rock.
What are some examples of co-parenting resources in Arkansas?: Featured entries include University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension — Parenting, Benton County Family Mediation, Center for Arkansas Legal Services — Co-Parenting, Arkansas Children's Hospital — Family Support, Our Family Wizard.
Do these listings include phone numbers?: 4 of 12 Arkansas co-parenting listings include phone numbers.
Is a parenting class required for divorce?: In most states, yes — a 4–6 hour court-approved co-parenting class (5–$75, often online) is required before any divorce or custody order involving minor children is finalized. Check your state court's approved provider list. The class is gender-neutral and focuses on protecting kids from conflict.
What's mediation and do I have to do it?: Mediation is a confidential negotiation with a neutral third party to agree on a parenting plan. Most states require at least one mediation session before contested custody hearings. It's faster, cheaper, and less traumatic than litigation. If there's domestic violence history, you can request to opt out or have separate-room mediation.
Which co-parenting app should I use?: OurFamilyWizard, Talking Parents, and 2Houses are accepted as evidence in court in most US jurisdictions. They provide tamper-proof message logs, shared calendars, expense tracking, and a tone-monitoring feature. If your ex is abusive or harassing, these apps create a documented record judges will read.
How do I co-parent with someone who was abusive?: Use parallel parenting instead of cooperative co-parenting — minimize contact, use a court-monitored app for all communication, exchange the child at a neutral location or police station, and stick strictly to the written parenting plan. Document everything. Many states allow supervised exchanges through Safe Exchange programs at no cost.