What is Child Inclusive Mediation?
Under the current Family Law Act, when determining a child's best interests the court is required to consider "any views expressed by the child and any factors (such as the child's maturity or level of understanding) that the court thinks are relevant to the weight it should give to the child's views". Child-Inclusive Practice is a process that enables a child to have their voice heard and included in the family mediation process. Children are not asked to find solutions. They're asked about their experiences and about what their parents could do differently to make the post-separation experience work well for them. This information is then brought back to the parenting mediation (without the children's involvement) for discussion with the decision makers - the parents.
Our Child Inclusive Consultants have backgrounds in psychology, children’s developmental studies, conflict resolution strategies, relationship counselling and much more. They have extensive experience in working with both parents and children.
A child inclusive mediation can be very helpful for children who are of an age where they can
express an independent view of their wishes. For children who cannot do so, a child inclusive
mediation may be less helpful, and it may be more appropriate, for example, for the parties to
engage in separation coaching, or co parenting sessions with one of our consultants to focus on age appropriate solutions in the children’s best interests instead.