Child Inclusive Mediation 

Child Inclusive Mediation allows children’s perspectives to be heard within the context of Mediation without children actually joining mediation sessions. 

In this process, a Child Consultant interviews the parents, then the children, before the Mediation session.  Then, the Child Consultant presents information gathered from the child and their own impressions to the parents, attorneys and mediator during the mediation session. 

All information shared with the Child Consultant is confidential, and children have control over what information is shared with the parents in mediation.  In the interview, children are asked to describe what it is like to be them, what makes living in their two houses easier and more difficult, and how parents could help make it easy.  Children are NOT simply interviewed about their preferences on the adult issues, and are not asked to solve the parents’ problems.

Child Inclusive Mediation relieves the children from the burden of being exposed to parental negotiations, while still allowing their perspectives to be heard within the mediation process.