Families, divorce, children are focus of June 6 event

Monday, March 3, 2008, By News Staff

Families, divorce, children are focus of June 6 event March 03, 2008Jaclyn D. Grossojgrosso@law.syr.edu

With more than 50,000 divorces in New York state each year, thousands of children must endure the emotional distress that often accompanies marital strife. How can community professionals assist with these transitions? The Family Law & Social Policy Center of Syracuse University College of Law will sponsor a June 6 event at the college to educate community professionals on how to assist children who are affected by the separation or divorce of their parents.

JoAnne Pedro-Carroll, director of programs for Families in Transition at the Children’s Institute in Rochester, N.Y., will be the conference keynote speaker. Carroll is the founder and director of the Children of Divorce Intervention Program (CODIP), a prevention program that has served thousands of children nationally and internationally, and has received extensive recognition and several awards for its effectiveness. The conference is made possible through a grant from the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers Foundation.

According to some experts, the aftermath of obtaining a divorce often leaves children in a state of tremendous emotional upheaval and with many personal difficulties to overcome. Children experience fear, anxiety, depression, stress and anger related to their parents’ separation or divorce. For many, these emotions are coupled with a change in housing, parental involvement, economic stability or household composition. However, with proper intervention and significant effort on behalf of the parents during the process, the effects on children may be minimized.

The center will collaborate with the staff of the Children 1st! program of Syracuse to plan the conference workshops. Children 1st! is a State of New York-certified parent education and awareness program that offers a six-hour course to parents going through divorce or separation.

To find out more, contact Heidi White McCormick at (315) 443-1310 or hawhite@law.syr.edu.