Child Consultant Info Sheet

Gives children a voice:

The consultant helps children communicate their experiences, feelings, and hopes in a way that is age-appropriate and understandable for adults.

Facilitates understanding:

They help parents understand the impact of separation or conflict on their children by relaying the child’s views on important matters, according to the child’s comfort level.

Acts as a neutral party:   

Consultants are not decision-makers and do not pressure the child to “report” on either parent. They provide information in a way that is intended to assist parents in making better decisions for their children. The consultant makes it very clear to parties and children that the parents are ultimately the decisions makers but the feedback from interviews helps parents make decisions with their children’s best interests at the heart of it all.

 Uses specialist training:

Child consultants are typically FDRP’s, psychologists, social workers, or counsellors with additional training in working with children and understanding the impact of family changes on their development.

Supports decision-making: 

 The consultant’s role is to ensure the child’s emotional and developmental needs are considered when future plans are made.

Child Consultant Process: 

1.      The consultant meets with both parents individually for an intake session and to gain consent.

2.      The consultant then meets with the child/children in a neutral, supportive, and confidential setting. Siblings are seen together, then separately.

3.      Sessions are age-appropriate and focus on exploring the child’s feelings and experiences without putting them in the middle of their parents’ conflict. Child consultants use developmental age appropriate strategies ((Play/drawing/blocks) to make sure children feel comfortable.

4.      The consultant then communicates the child’s perspective to the parents, often through verbal feedback in a meeting with the parents (in person or on zoom) during a mediation session for a parenting plan or in a written report if required by a court. Feedback is structured within mediation at the beginning of  the mediation process after the mediator opening statement.

5.      The Child Consultant will discuss the feedback per child, then if needed, do a 20 minute private sessions with each party, then return to a joint session for final discussion and summary. The mediator, at the recommendation of the FDRP and at the mutual consent of parties, may stay for the rest of the mediation process and support parents in making sure the child’s experience and interests are the base of all decisions made by the parties.

6.      This feedback is intended to help parents reach more effective and child-focused agreements and shift parents from a positional  stance to child interest based decision making.

Consent: 

A Child Consultant must get consent from both parties and children to proceed with interviews.

Confidentiality:

Interview sessions with parents and children remain confidential unless otherwise agreed to share or rquested by the court. Parties may share with each other  information if they choose to do so. Child Consultants are mandatory reporters and have a duty of care to report to authorities if there is a risk of harm, negelect, abuse or a safety concern for either party or children. 

Not therapy: 

While the process can be supportive, it is a dispute resolution process, not a form of therapy for the parents or children.

Appointment of a Child Consultant for child inclusive mediation:

Appointment can be done by a judge through court orders at interim or final stages or if privately agreed by all parties at the recommendation of the FDRP.

Length of employment:

Child Consultants can be available on request during mediation or  when reviewing parenting plans/orders.