Evaluating the work of Australia's Family Relationship Centres: Evidence from the first 5 years

Abstract

Family Relationship Centres (FRCs) have been described as a centerpiece of Australia's 2006 family law reforms. This paper places these centres in the larger context of the reforms and their commitment to providing community‐based family services in the family law area. The paper also examines the empirical evidence regarding FRCs' use and effectiveness. It notes that while the objectives and intentions of FRCs place considerable emphasis on strengthening family relationships and assisting families to stay together, the centres themselves have only a modest level of direct involvement with intact families. FRCs tend to have strong links with other community‐based family services, many of whom are more engaged with intact families; but it is difficult to gauge their effectiveness in this area. Most FRCs' direct services are aimed at separating families and most of that work involves family dispute resolution (family mediation) and associated services such as screening and assessment and the provision of relevant information. A substantial majority of clients who attend FDR at an FRC reach agreement about their parenting arrangements either at FDR or subsequent to attending FDR. These agreements also tend to hold up in the medium term. A majority of parents believe that at FDR, the child(ren)'s needs were taken into account; the parenting agreement worked for the child(ren); and the parenting agreement worked for them. A substantial proportion of FRC clients come from families that have experienced family violence or other dysfunctional behaviours, and such behaviours reduce the chances of resolving parenting disputes. The paper concludes by suggesting that having been created mainly as a default alternative to legal interventions and court processes, it is likely that a major future strength of FRCs will lie in their emerging capacity to work constructively not only with other relationship services and networks, but with family lawyers and the courts.

The Family Law Bar, the Interdisciplinary Resource Center for Separating and Divorcing Parents, and the “Spark to Kindle the White Flame of Progress”

“…Furthermore, ninety-five percent of clients are satisfied with the process and agreements reached at the centers are lasting. 36 The Family Law Bar can endorse the center concept and establish a goal of creating centers in every community. Lawyers can serve on governing boards and lobby appropriate bodies for necessary regulatory reform and financial support.…”

Predictors of Engagement in Family Mediation and Outcomes for Families that Fail to Engage

“…Research in the United States and Australia has found that about two-thirds of completed family mediations result in parenting agreements, which resolve at least some of the areas of disagreement between the coparents (Kelly, 2004;Moloney, Qu, Weston, & Hand, 2013). However, a substantial minority of separated parents have ongoing conflict about parenting matters, and might benefit from more intensive help like family therapy (Lebow & Newcomb Rekart, 2007).…”

Getting It Right for Families in Australia: Commentary on the April 2013 Special Issue on Family Relationship Centres

“…While the third goal has been clearly met, only a small percentage of cohabiting and married couples have used FRCs for the first two goals (Moloney, Qu, Weston, & Hand, 2013). The FRCs would be the first point of entry for everyone, and from that entry point all referrals and services would proceed, depending on the parents' circumstances.…”

“…The majority of parents (70%) indicated that their children's needs were taken into account in the FDR process and 60% believed that the parenting agreement worked for the children and for themselves (Moloney, Qu, Weston, & Hand, 2013). Among parents attending FRCs, 49% of fathers and 44% of mothers indicated that the parenting agreement reached in the FDR process increased the amount of time that the children spent with their fathers when compared to the contact pattern prior to attending FDR, but the actual amount of parenting time for each parent does not appear to have been assessed.…”

“…FRCs were designed to be a community resource for all couples experiencing relationship problems, with three core goals of strengthening family relationships, helping families stay together, and assisting families through separation. While the third goal has been clearly met, only a small percentage of cohabiting and married couples have used FRCs for the first two goals (Moloney, Qu, Weston, & Hand, 2013).…”