Several CC instructors have inquired about how others structure the program when they teach CC to groups of couples. We asked this question in a survey of certified instructors listed on our web site.

• By far the most typical structure is that of meeting on weekday evenings over four weeks.
• Less common, yet evenly matched, are two approaches:
  1. Teaching couples during a single weekend, in a retreat-type situation
  2. Teaching couples over several weekends.
• Another way of structuring the course that has been successful is to offer it over several Sunday afternoons or evenings.

One of our certified instructors in the Kansas City area, Dennis Smith, tells of a structure he has found to work well for him and the couples he serves.

Dennis has couples meet on a Friday evening for three hours. They return the next day, Saturday, for five hours from 1:00 - 6:00 p.m. During the class childcare is provided for children 3 years and older, at a charge to the parents. (He meets in a church in which there is daycare during the week and he hires one of the daycare teachers, whom the parents pay directly.)

Dennis has found that this schedule meets the needs of working couples in his area better than other structures he has tried in the past. People tell him they can get their errands done on Saturday morning or not be rushed in getting out of the house on a weekend morning. Many even have time to practice their skills between the sessions.

If you have a structure you have found to be successful and wish to share it with other CC instructors, please send us an e-mail.