Parenting Facilitator vs. Parenting Coordinator in Texas

What does a parenting facilitator do in Texas?

A parenting facilitator helps parents carry out a custody order they already have, and can report to the court about it. Texas Family Code § 153.601 defines the facilitator as an impartial third party who helps parents resolve parenting issues through procedures that are not confidential.

The court lists the duties in its order. They may include identifying disputed issues, reducing misunderstandings, exploring problem-solving options, helping parents comply with the possession and access order, and monitoring compliance (§§ 153.606 and 153.6061). The facilitator must keep detailed records of every meeting and contact, and those records are available to the parents' attorneys (§ 153.6083).

Texas also sets minimum qualifications. Under § 153.6101, a facilitator must hold a Texas license as an attorney, social worker, professional counselor, marriage and family therapist or psychologist, and must have completed training in family violence dynamics, dispute resolution, family dynamics and child development, and the law of parenting coordination and facilitation.

Is a parenting coordinator different from a custody mediator?

Yes. A custody mediator helps parents settle the issues in a pending case, usually in one session that ends in a signed agreement or an impasse. A parenting coordinator works with parents over a longer period, usually after there is an order, helping them follow it and resolve the disputes that come up.

A coordinator and a facilitator do similar work. The difference is confidentiality. A coordinator works through confidential procedures, must follow the Texas Supreme Court's Ethical Guidelines for Mediators, and reports to the court only whether coordination should continue (§§ 153.606(f) and 153.608). A facilitator's process is open: records can be reviewed, recommendations can go to the court, and the facilitator may be required to testify about the basis for them. The same person cannot be both coordinator and facilitator in one case (§ 153.605(d)).

Do both parents need to agree to use a parenting facilitator?

No. Under Texas Family Code § 153.6051, the court may appoint a facilitator on its own motion, on one parent's motion, or on the parents' agreement. Before it does, the court must hold a hearing after notice and make specific findings: that the case is high-conflict or there is good cause, that the appointment is in the child's best interest, and that the person meets the minimum qualifications.

There is one important safeguard. A parent may file a written objection based on family violence committed by the other parent against the objecting parent or a child. Once it is filed, no facilitator may be appointed unless the court holds a hearing and finds the objection is not supported by a preponderance of the evidence. Even then, the court must order measures to protect the objecting parent, such as no face-to-face contact and separate rooms.

Can a parenting facilitator make recommendations to the court?

Yes, within clear limits. A facilitator submits written reports to the court and the parties as ordered (§ 153.6081). When the parents cannot settle an issue, the facilitator may recommend ways to implement or clarify the existing order, consistent with its intent and the child's best interest (§ 153.6082(e)).

Those recommendations may not address conservatorship, possession or access, and they do not change the order. A facilitator may also be required to testify, including about the basis for the recommendations. A proposed joint resolution the parents reach becomes binding only once their attorneys put it in proper form and the court signs it into an order.

Can a parenting facilitator help when we disagree about school decisions?

Yes. School disputes are a common reason for facilitation. The facilitator starts with the order: which parent holds the right to make educational decisions, and whether it is exclusive, joint, or joint with one parent having the final say. The facilitator then helps the parents decide within that framework, or recommends how to apply it.

Medical decisions work the same way. When parents argue about every appointment or treatment, a facilitator can set a process: who schedules, how records and updates are shared, how much notice the other parent gets before non-emergency care, and how disagreements are escalated. The order still decides who has the final word.

Can a parenting facilitator help with constant visitation disagreements?

Yes. Disputes about exchange times and places, holiday turns, summer notice, travel and make-up time are what facilitators handle most often. The facilitator helps the parents agree on how the schedule they already have applies to the situation in front of them.

What a facilitator cannot do is change the possession schedule. If the schedule itself no longer works for the child, a parent needs to ask the court for a modification. See custody modification and enforcement.

How do I deal with a co-parent who refuses to respond to messages?

Start with your own messages: keep them short, factual, focused on the child, and in writing so there is a record. Check what your order says about communication, because many Texas orders require parents to share information about the child's school, health and activities.

A facilitator can set ground rules for channels and response times, and monitor whether each parent keeps them. If one parent still refuses to engage, the facilitator's records can show the court what has happened. For everyday messages, John's CPiQ co-parenting tool helps parents write calmer, clearer messages.