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Resources - Information for Litigants

Resources - For Litigants

Judges often order parties to participate in various services as part of their parenting plan. The Resources lists are maintained solely as a service to Yolo Family Court participants and do not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by the Court. You should contact the resources directly to confirm current credentials, experience, practice focus, pricing, and availability. 

General tips for selecting a service provider

When you are seeking services, the first step is to find a provider. There are essentially four ways to do this if you do not already know of a provider:

  1. Do your own research. You can ask a friend, family member, counselor, attorney, or other trusted professional if they have a referral for the service you need. Use caution and careful research when selecting a provider from an online search.
  2. Check with your healthcare providers for a referral. Many healthcare providers (such as Kaiser) maintain referral lists for their patients.
  3. Use the 211 website. 211.org- external link is an agency that provides free and confidential information and referral services to various non-profit and governmental service providers.
  4. Use the ' Provider Lists'. The Family Court maintains provider lists as a convenience to court users and has established certain criteria that the providers are expected to meet in order to be included on the list. The purpose of the criteria is to maintain professional standards among our community providers who self-certify that they meet the given standards. The court does not verify, approve, or monitor any of the listed providers. While the court makes provider lists available on its website, the choice of a provider is left up to the court user.

It is your responsibility to ensure that the provider of your choice complies with all federal, state, and local laws and regulations.

RESOURCE LISTS

*Note: The Self-Help Center does not maintain lists related to Child Custody Evaluations or Drug and Alcohol Assessment/testing resources.

Types of Resources

During a custody and visitation proceeding, the judge will order accordingly in the best interest of the child. In doing so, parents may also be ordered to complete particular programs and or participate in until a further order from the court. 

SUPERVISED VISITATION

Professional Supervised Visitation

  • A professional provider is trained, background-checked, and a mandated reporter, which means that they must report suspected child abuse to the local child welfare department (CWS). Learn more about professional providers.
    • Must complete and file form FL-324(P) in every case. There is no fee to file this form.
    • Will request case details, including a copy of your court order.
    • If the order requires a professional provider, but it does not name one, parents must select one themselves.

Non-Professional Supervised Visitation

  • A non-professional is usually a friend or family member without special training. This option is not recommended if safety is a concern. Learn more about nonprofessional providers.
  • To qualify, a nonprofessional provider must:
    • Have no history of child abuse, crimes against a person, or probation/parole within the last 10 years.
    • Must complete form FL-324(NP), which the custodial parent files with the court. There is no fee to file this form.
  • A free 90-minute online training is also available.

Transportation to and from Visitation

If safety is a concern, a trusted third party may handle drop-offs and pick-ups. Drivers must have a valid license and insurance. Many professional providers offer safe-exchange procedures to keep parents separated.

CO-PARENTING EDUCATION

Co-parenting classes help parents reduce conflict and support their children after separation. Programs may be offered through:

  • Public school districts (regulated by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing)
  • Other classroom service providers, such as Kaiser Permanente or HHSA (must be supervised by licensed mental health providers or must possess a Bachelor's degree or higher in psychology, sociology, or marriage and family systems)

Any provider offering co-parent education for clients referred from Family Court must address at least the following core topics of co-parenting:

  • Impact of separation and divorce on children
  • Children's reaction to separation and divorce at each developmental stage
  • Impact of post-separation or post-divorce conflict on children
  • Understanding anger and its effect on children
  • Keeping children out of the middle of parental conflict
  • Emotional divorce and grief: Redefining relationships and roles as parents
  • Establishing a "business" relationship as co-parents
  • Parenting styles
  • Co-Parenting basics
  • Provide examples of effective and ineffective communication in common co-parenting situations

ANGER MANAGEMENT

Court-ordered anger management programs are structured courses mandated by a court to help individuals manage anger, improve emotional regulation, comply with legal requirements, prevent future conflicts, and provide documentation of completion.

Anger management facilitators must:

  • Complete 40 hours of anger management facilitator training with emphasis in each of the following areas: (1) Adult, parent, child anger management; (2) child development, from birth through adolescence; (3) family and domestic violence; (4) family conflict and anxiety; and (5) stress management and child abuse.
  • Use a reliable assessment tool that includes a Pre and Post-Test to measure outcomes.
  • Complete 16 hours of continuing education annually in any of the above areas.

CHILD CUSTODY EVALUATIONS

A judge may order a custody evaluation to gather more information about what arrangement best supports the child.

Types of Evaluations:

  • 3111 Evaluation (pursuant to Family Law Code § 3111) – A 3111 Evaluation is ordered when there are questions or concerns regarding the custody and visitation arrangements and what would be in the child(ren)'s best interests. A 3111 Evaluation typically involves meeting with both parties and the child(ren) and may include home visits.
  • 3118 Evaluation (pursuant to Family Law Code § 3118) – A 3118 Evaluation is ordered when the court determines there is a serious allegation of child sexual abuse as defined by Penal Code §11165.1. In addition to conducting family member interviews, a 3118 Evaluation may also include consultation with child welfare services and/or law enforcement.
  • 730 Evaluation (pursuant to Evidence Code §730) – A 730 Evaluation is ordered when particular expertise is needed in the case. This area of expertise typically involves psychological testing and assessment. 730 evaluators must be qualified and appropriately licensed to administer, score, and interpret the psychological tests.

Evaluators must file a Declaration of Private Child Custody Evaluator Regarding Qualifications (FL-326) (external site pdf) confirming they meet qualification requirements. Reports must follow Family Code guidelines and be filed with the appropriate judicial council forms.

For more information, visit: Child Custody Evaluation Information Sheet | CA Courts Self Help (external site) or Rule 5.220. Court-ordered child custody evaluations | Judicial Branch of California (external site)

*Please note, the Yolo Superior Court does not maintain a Resource list for the Evaluations listed above. You may refer to the Sacramento County Resource Evaluation List – Resources for Court-Ordered Services: Sacramento Superior Court