Child Inclusive Practice (CIP) in Mediation

Child Inclusive Practice (CIP) in mediation is a valuable tool that gives children a voice during separation. In Australia’s evolving Family Law system, professionals are placing increasing importance on hearing children’s views.

Developed by respected experts such as Bill Hewlett and Dr. Jennifer McIntosh, CIP provides a supported setting. It allows children to express their thoughts, feelings, and concerns safely and respectfully.

A Safe Space for Children to Be Heard

At Envision Mediation, our trained Child Consultants use a gentle and age-appropriate approach. They meet with children in a calm, non-invasive, and supportive environment. These sessions help children feel understood and safe, and many report feeling relieved after sharing their views and experinces.

Strengthening Relationships and Reducing Conflict

Research shows that Child Inclusive Practice (CIP) benefits families well beyond the session. It  has been shown to reduce conflict and improve the co-parenting relationship. Moreover, it has been shown to strengthen the relationship between parents and children after separation.

When parents gain insight into their child’s needs, they can make more informed and child-focused decisions. As a result, mediation becomes more productive and meaningful for everyone involved.

How the CIP Process Works

The FDRP begins by assessing suitability during the intake session. If both parents and children agree, our child consultant meets individually with each parent, then each child. The consultant meets with the parents to gain an overview of the co-parent conflict and history. Then they meet with the child to explore how the child feels about the family situation and any worries they may have.

In mediation, the consultant shares general feedback to the parents without the children present. This helps guide parents toward better outcomes and more child focused agreements.

Focusing on the Child’s Wellbeing

Child Inclusive Practice (CIP) in mediation helps parents move beyond conflict and focus on what matters most: their child’s wellbeing. At Envision Mediation, we are proud to offer this meaningful and valuable service.

Child Inclusive Practice (CIP)
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It is not the goal of CIP to ask a child to ‘pick sides’, make decisions or gather any evidence of wrong doing by either parent. Rather, it is to gain an insight into how the separation may be affecting the child, and what changes can be made by the parents, that may benefit the child in the future.

This information will then be fed back to the parents in a “CIP feedback session” prior to the mediation session and without the children present. Our hope is for children to be able to open up in this safe, non-confronting space to talk about how they really feel living with separated parents. Our hope is for parents to better understand their child and gain support to improve the co-parenting relationship moving forward.

Envision has had experiences with many families in long term high conflict, where the parents and the children have given up hope of things ever getting better. We have conducted CIP with such families and have seen extraordinary improvements, not only in the co-parenting relationship, but also in the children’s level of happiness and wellbeing in general. Please contact us for more information about this process, we are happy to help.

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