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Douglas County Conciliation and Mediation Services
Hall of Justice
1701 Farnam Street, 1st Floor
Omaha, NE 68183
(402) 444-7168

Parenting Plan Checklist of Required Provisions Under
Local Rule 4-3

(Per Parenting Act -Neb. Rev. Stat. 43-2913- (1998) only non-financial matters should be included)

1. An indication of custody form the parents will share and inclusion of whether or not there is a primary residential parent or primary possessory parent if it is Joint Custody.
   
2. Specific pick up and return times for regular visitation exchanges (a default structure the parents agree to follow unless they mutually decide otherwise).
   
3. Specific pick up and return times and/or definition of the time frames for holidays so the parties have the same understanding of what constitutes the time structure for each holiday.
   
4. Specific amounts of vacation time for both parents, and provisions for the amount of notice to be given re the intended vacation dates, emergency phone numbers where the vacationing parent may be reached, and frequency of phone calls to the non-vacationing parent by the child/children. An "up to" or cap on the time indicates the maximum time both may take and also provides vacation time for the possessory or custodial parent. This can also help to avoid disagreements and situations where one parent tries to take more than the other without mutual agreement by the parties.
   
5. Record keeping and notification information: Provisions for both parents' names to appear on all school and medical records so each may access these without assistance from the other: "The names of both parents will appear on all medical and school records and both will have access to all such information. Both parents may initiate emergency medical and/or dental treatment for the children, and agree to notify each other of any significant illness, injury or emergency treatment of them. Each parent is responsible for notifying the school that s/he wishes to be included on the mailing list and be notified of conferences and events, as well as receiving copies of report cards, progress reports, and all other pertinent information."
   
6. Parental matters which the parents agree to discuss concerning the children, such as health and medical, school related problems and decisions, and any behavioral or disciplinary issues which could impact both households, etc.
   
7. A statement regarding each parent's right to knowledge of the children's activities and right to participate, such as: "The parents will keep each other advised of the children's activity schedules so that each may participate and support them in these events, even if the children are not in that parent's possession that day."
   
8. A provision keeping future communications between the parents of the children such as "The parents acknowledge that all communications about the children will be conducted between the biological parents only regardless of future relationships." (This is stressed in our Parent Education program and it is one of the main trouble makers in post-divorce relationships)

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