Mark Bogan said the parenting class presumes one parent gets custody. - Merle Robillard/NNSL photo

Mark Bogan attended the class about helping kids through separation and divorce. He felt the course assumes one parent gets custody because it makes reference to the "custodial parent."

He points to recent research commissioned by the federal government that recommends shared parenting arrangements.

"I don't think (the department's) research is accurate," he said. "I think they should rewrite the booklet to contain the most current information available."

The class doesn't explain how federal guidelines impact families, he said. For instance, he said courts decide how much someone pays in child support.

"The reality is you are heavily taxed on that money," he said. "The child support payments are a form of impoverishment."

Among his other complaints, Bogan is upset that the booklet states the course is for parents who are able to communicate with each other.

"One of the primary reasons why people separate and divorce is because they can't communicate with each other," he said. "If you can't design a program that's feasible for all people, then there's no hope."

But Lucy Austin, the department's senior advisor on family law said Bogan is reading too much into the booklet, and making assumptions.

The department is not assuming one parent has custody, she said, or giving advice on which arrangement works best.

"We're totally neutral," she said.

Austin said the scenarios in the booklet do show children moving back and forth between parents. But she said the reality is most children spend most of their time with one parent, usually their mother.

However, that's not the point, she said.

"The course is about how you can relate to kids to minimize the impact of separation and divorce."

The booklet includes basic information about federal guidelines, so parents know about them. The workshop is not a forum to evaluate them.

"There's no point in ranting and raving about whether the guidelines are fair," she said. "If he has a problem with that, he should speak to his MP or MLA. All we're doing is providing information."

She added the course is open to all parents, even if they don't communicate well. "Even if one parent adopts some of these strategies, it's better for the kids."