Signed in as:
filler@godaddy.com
Signed in as:
filler@godaddy.com
Each family that come in to mediation has their own unique set of circumstances, and obstacles to overcome. Because the majority of our clients have so few resources to begin with, it is important for the mediators to have the training & experience to help parents work together peacefully while navigating the creation of an agreement that is custom suited to their & their children’s needs.
Children's Court Mediation is a confidential process. Names have been changed.
Mom, in this case, is recovering drug addict she has worked herself through the system to get her children back into her care and custody. Daughter, 12 year old Justine, refuses to visit with or talk to her Mother.
Courageous Conversation
Mediators worked with Mother and Daughter to help them process the issues and ultimately to have an honest conversation about what it is that Justine needed from her Mother in order to trust her again.
The mediators discovered that Justine loved her Mother very much, however she liked the stability of living with her Father and really loved her new school. She did not feel that her Mother was ready to have her and her 2 siblings back in her care.
Mother and Father were able to find a creative solution in a step up plan that gave Maria and Justine time to rebuild the trust that had been lost and afforded Maria the opportunity to take smaller steps to become a more stable parent.
Logistically, how to exchange the children on public transportation and still get to work on time- Wanda lives in North Hollywood and John Lives in Inglewood. Emotional Wanda has not spoken to John’s family in 18 months, she was very close to them and misses them, however she is fearful that they hate her and blame her for all that had happened.
Solving this challenge would mean the difference between children seeing their Father once a week or once a month. Our mediators dug a little deeper, listened a little closer and pushed a little harder to help these parents come up with a creative solution.
In talking to Father the mediators found out that his family missed Wanda and were not angry with her at all. They were able to determine that these relatives lived in the middle of both parents, and the easiest thing to do would be for parents to take the bus to their house to exchange the children. This gave Wanda a chance to visit with her relatives and Father could still get to work on time!
Children could now see their Father every week!
Southern California Family Mediation is a 501(c)3
Mail to:
Southern California Family Mediation
PO Box 7576 Burbank, CA 91510
Administration Office
Supervisor Naomi Tillman 818-575-6900 (no text) nellieT@dependencymediation.org
Program Director
Mediator Randy Drew, drew@socalfm.org
Southern California Family Mediation is a 501(c)3