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 Vermont
Vermont's Family Division of the Superior Court handles all family matters statewide. The Office of Child Support Services operates under DCF. Burlington, South Burlington, Rutland, and Essex are the largest towns. Vermont Legal Aid, Legal Services Vermont, and the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence provide civil legal aid and a statewide Family Law helpline for women.
11 Resources
The Vermont Judiciary contracts certified mediators to help separating parents negotiate parenting plans before contested hearings. In low-income cases the fee can be waived through the court's IFP form. Call 802-828-3278 Mon-Fri 8am-4:30pm to ask whether mediation is required in your county.
802-828-3278 · Statewide Service · Mon-Fri 8am-4:30pm · Visit Website
UVM Extension delivers the Building Strong Families curriculum and supports the Parents Apart Forever Children divorce-education classes that Vermont family courts often order. Sliding-scale fees; some sessions remote. Call 802-656-2990 Mon-Fri 8am-5pm.
802-656-2990 · Statewide Service · Mon-Fri 8am-5pm · Visit Website
Fifteen Parent Child Centers across Vermont offer free supervised visitation, parent education, home visits, and Concrete Supports (diapers, formula, transport). Coordinated through 802-828-3278. Mon-Fri 8am-5pm. Designed for young moms and families navigating custody safely.
802-828-3278 · Statewide Locations · Mon-Fri 8am-5pm
OurFamilyWizard logs every message, expense, and calendar change in a tamper-proof record that Vermont family-court judges routinely accept as evidence. The ToneMeter feature flags hostile language before send. Monthly subscription; fee waivers for survivors via the application form.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website
TalkingParents offers free unlimited secure messaging plus an unalterable PDF record available on demand — the free tier covers most Vermont custody disputes without paying. Phone-call recording and accountable payments are paid add-ons.
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AppClose is the fully-free co-parenting app — shared calendar, secure messaging, accountable expense splitting, and parenting-plan storage with no subscription gate. Adequate for amicable Vermont co-parents who don't need court-grade reporting.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website
2houses adds a journal section where parents log medical visits, school events, and milestones — handy for Vermont moms with a co-parent who lives out of state and rarely sees the children in person.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website
Coparenter pairs the app with on-demand licensed mediators who can defuse a disagreement by text in minutes. Useful for Vermont parents in remote counties without immediate access to a court-affiliated mediator.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website
UpToParents.org is a free 30-minute online course many Vermont judges accept in lieu of an in-person divorce education class. Print the completion certificate for the court file.
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Cozi is the free family calendar app that color-codes each parent and child — useful for Vermont moms juggling joint custody schedules, school pickup, and activities across two households.
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Custody X Change generates parenting-time calendars and totals overnights for the year — exactly the data Vermont courts want when calculating child support under the income-shares model. One-time purchase.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website