Conflict resolution in child protection and adoption

Dispute Processing in Child Maltreatment Cases

“…Critics of the system argue that authoritative and unilateral action by caseworkers undermines the therapeutic goals of the child protective process (Chandler 1985;Mayer 1984). Concerned that unilateral decision making by caseworkers disempowers famih'es, many of these critics advocate using third party mediators in the child protective services system.…”

“…While critics of the system (Chandler 1985;Mayer 1984) contend that parents ar~" rarely involved in the decision-making process, hitherto no study has empirically documented the degree to which caseworkers and parents negotiate decision making in the child protective process.…”

Need to Be Heard: Increasing Child Participation in Protection Mediation Through the Implementation of Model Standards*

“…59 One of the most important goals of child protection mediation is to improve the relationship of the parties. 60 Child Protection Mediators work in the context of ongoing relationships that have the potential for future disputes and offer participants ways to deal with their particular problems.…”

Mediation and empowerment in child protection cases

“…Research and commentary on the use of mediation in CP cases dates back to the mid 1980s, although there were ad hoc attempts at using CP mediation prior to that period. The first articles proposing mediation reviewed then-current literature on child welfare and speculated about how mediation might be used in this context (Mayer, 1984;Oran, Creamer, and Libow, 1984;Wiig, 1984, Wildgoose, 1987. As mediation pilot projects were developed in Denver, Los Angeles, and Hartford in the United States and in Toronto and Victoria in Canada, as well as in other areas, research started to document the implementation and outcomes of mediation in CP cases (Golten, 1986;Center for Policy Research, 1992;Wildgoose and Maresca, 1994;Campbell and Rodenburgh, 1994).…”