ABOUT

Q & A

Q) WHO ARE WE?

A) Southern California Family Mediation (SCFM) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation.

A) SCFM was founded in 2014, at the Edmund D. Edelman Children's Courthouse in Monterey Park, California. In 2019, we became a California corporation and a 501(c)3 nonprofit. In 2020, following the shut down of the courts, we were the very first court-connected program back serving families. "Thank you for being there when we needed you most." "Thanks to you we knew we were not forgotten."

A) SCFM is a team of approximately 30 volunteer co-mediators and 5 to 10 Admin-Tiger Team members.

A) We serve families at approximately 35 dependency courtrooms throughout Los Angeles County.

A) We are a non-political organization, by rule and by custom.

A) We are a team of engaged, compassionate individuals, each with our own “uniqueness of personhood” and each with our own “mediation superpowers”.

Q) MISSION: What does SCFM do?

A) We co-mediate Co-Parenting/Visitation Agreements and Adoption-Related Conflicts for families at all Los Angeles County dependency courts.

A) SoCal Family Mediation is making the world a safer place to disagree by providing free and low-cost mediation and public education, based on our 11-years of 1,000 Mediation Lessons Learned.

A) We have new initiatives waiting for funding.

Q) WHY: It’s a big commitment and hard work, why do we do it?

A) Because "Children’s Court is no place for kids", meaning we want to help get kids back home whenever the Court determines it's safe;

A) Because we believe in second chances;

A) Because conflict engagement skills are teachable & learnable, and when we learn better we can do better and when we do better we become better;

A) Because the most at risk children and in need, under-funded young co-parents need our help;

A) Because we care;

A) Because we can, and not just anyone can do what we do and certainly not with the level of success we have achieved for the families and children we serve. Dependency court co-mediation requires a very unique and powerful skill set.

A) And because we believe mediators are the medicine for a world that needs to learn the wisdom and skills of conflict engagement.