Focus on Kids (FOK)

Impact

Funded Since: 1996 | Total Funding: $700,000

Funding Sources: Participant Fee Payments, MU Extension, Missouri Circuit Courts

Outcomes

Since 2012, Focus on Kids has reached more than 50,000 co-parents through in-person and online education, helping parents build stronger co-parenting relationships and reduce stress for children.

Participants report meaningful improvements in their knowledge and confidence around managing conflict, supporting their children’s relationships with both parents, and avoiding behaviors that can place children in the middle. More than 90% of online participants say the program offers helpful strategies for resolving conflict, supporting parent-child relationships, and reducing stress for children.

Evaluations also show that these positive changes can last well beyond program completion, demonstrating the program’s lasting impact on co-parenting and children’s well-being.

Program Purpose

Divorce and separation can create new challenges for parents and children. Focus on Kids (FOK) helps parents learn practical strategies to support their children, reduce conflict, and build effective co-parenting relationships while living apart.

Offered in cooperation with Missouri’s circuit courts, Focus on Kids meets Missouri’s requirement for parenting education for many parents who are divorcing or modifying a custody order. Parents should check with the court handling their case to confirm whether Focus on Kids meets their requirements and whether the online or in-person format is appropriate.

Research shows that children tend to adjust better to family transitions when parents reduce conflict and work together to support their children. By giving parents practical tools for communication, cooperation, and child-centered decision-making, Focus on Kids helps families navigate separation while promoting children’s well-being.

Wish I would’ve
known this information when I first
separated. I think I would’ve been able to
help my son adjust easier.”

More Information

Focus on Kids is based on the latest evidence about successful coparenting and is delivered online and in-person throughout Missouri. Click the button below to learn more about Focus on Kids (FOK).

Learn About FOK