Relationships Australia Parenting Course in Western Australia
Your ex just told you they've booked into a parenting course, or your mediator suggested you attend one before your next Family Dispute Resolution session. Either way, you're wondering what these programs actually involve and whether they're worth your time.
Relationships Australia WA runs several parenting programs designed specifically for separated families. Here's what you need to know before enrolling.
What the Course Actually Covers
Relationships Australia WA offers parenting programs for separated families, including Parenting After Separation. Session format and content vary by program; confirm current details before enrolling. The content may focus on:
- How separation affects children at different developmental stages
- Reducing conflict in front of children during changeover
- Communicating effectively with your co-parent about logistics
- Understanding the difference between parenting plans and parenting orders under current WA law
- Building routines that help children feel secure across two households
Since the May 2024 reforms abolished the presumption of equal shared parental responsibility, a useful course should address how the court prioritises child safety and the six best-interests factors when assessing parenting arrangements.
Who Should Attend
You don't need a court order to enrol. Most parents attend voluntarily at one of three points:
Before mediation. A parenting program may be discussed during an FDR intake. Ask the provider whether it is suitable before your mediation sessions; it may give you and your co-parent a shared framework for discussing schedules, changeover logistics, and decision-making responsibilities.
During contested proceedings. If you're self-represented in the Family Court of Western Australia, a parenting course may help you build skills relevant to parenting capacity. Completing a course is not itself one of the six factors under Section 60CC (or Section 66C for de facto couples under state legislation); the court assesses capacity directly.
After orders are made. Parents struggling to implement a parenting schedule — particularly those managing high-conflict changeovers — find the communication skills module immediately practical.
Cost and Availability
Fees, locations, session times, and online availability vary by program. Check Relationships Australia WA's current program information when enrolling.
Program locations, session times, and online availability vary. Check Relationships Australia WA's current program information when enrolling.
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How It Connects to Your Parenting Plan
The course doesn't draft your parenting plan for you, but it gives you the vocabulary and decision-making framework to approach mediation more productively. Parents who attend before FDR report feeling less reactive during negotiations because they've already processed common emotional triggers in a low-stakes environment.
If you're preparing for mediation and want a structured guide to drafting your actual parenting plan — including the specific clauses the Family Court of Western Australia expects to see in a Form 11 Consent Order — the Western Australia Custody & Parenting Plan Guide walks you through each decision point with worksheets.
Is It Mandatory?
No WA court currently mandates a specific parenting course as a condition of parenting orders, though judicial officers can (and do) include conditions requiring parents to attend counselling or family therapy programs. The course itself is voluntary for most parents.
However, Family Dispute Resolution is mandatory before filing parenting applications (unless you qualify for an exemption, such as family violence, urgency, or a recovery order). Relationships Australia is one example of an accredited FDR provider in Western Australia, so some parents encounter its parenting programs as part of the broader FDR intake process.
The Bottom Line
A Relationships Australia parenting course won't resolve your custody dispute on its own, but it reduces the emotional temperature before mediation and demonstrates parental commitment if your matter proceeds to court. Depending on the program and eligibility, it may be a lower-cost option during separation — and the skills can transfer directly into daily co-parenting.
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