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Why Choose Child-Inclusive Mediation?

Child-inclusive mediation can provide children with an appropriate opportunity to express their views and experiences in matters that affect them. The process is designed to help parents better understand their child’s perspective while ensuring that children are not placed in the position of making decisions or choosing between parents.

Information from the child-inclusive process may then be brought back into the mediation in an appropriate way to help inform the parents’ discussions and decision-making.

How Child-Inclusive Mediation Works

  1. Parental Consultation
    The mediator meets with the parents to discuss the child-inclusive process, assess whether it may be appropriate and obtain the necessary consent.
  2. Child Meeting
    Where appropriate, the mediator meets separately with the child in a child-focused setting and explains the process, including how information may be shared.
  3. Feedback to Parents
    The child’s views and experiences are communicated back to the parents in accordance with the process discussed with the child.
  4. Continued Mediation
    Parents use the information alongside the other relevant considerations in mediation while remaining responsible for decisions affecting their family.

Benefits for Children & Families

Provides an Opportunity to Be Heard

Gives children an age-appropriate opportunity to share their views and experiences.

Supports Parent Understanding

Helps parents gain a clearer understanding of their child’s perspective and concerns.

Keeps Children Out of the Decision-Making Role

Children can share their views without being asked to choose between parents or decide the outcome.

Informs Parenting Discussions

Information from the child-inclusive process can help parents consider their child’s perspective during mediation.

When to Consider Child-Inclusive Mediation

  • Parents are experiencing ongoing disagreement about parenting arrangements
  • A child’s views may assist with parenting discussions
  • Changes to parenting schedules or arrangements are being considered
  • Parents want to better understand how their child is experiencing the family transition
  • A child-inclusive process is considered appropriate for the circumstances

Frequently Asked Questions

No. Child-inclusive mediation is not about asking a child to choose between parents or make parenting decisions. It provides an opportunity for the child’s views and experiences to be heard and considered as part of the mediation process.

The child will be told clearly how information from the meeting may be shared with the parents. The mediator will discuss the process and limits of confidentiality with the child in an age-appropriate way before proceeding.

Child-inclusive meetings are generally conducted in person so the mediator can provide an appropriate setting for the child and properly assess whether the process should proceed.

No. Child-inclusive mediation is not automatically required. Whether it is appropriate depends on the circumstances of the family and the mediation process.

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