Child Protection Mediation Program
Child Protection Mediation assists families, social service workers, and courts find the best options for children in foster or kinship care, including making timely decisions about permanent placement. This is accomplished by:
- Working with parties, especially parents, to create agreements which may improve case plan compliance.
- Addressing communication and other issues that may be barriers to progress for families.
- Establishing a permanent placement with other caregivers.
- Moving toward voluntary termination of parental rights with some continued contact with child(ren).
- Addressing parental, grandparent, or sibling visitation.
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What is Mediation? |
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Mediation is an informal meeting in which a neutral third party - a mediator - facilitates the resolution of a dispute between two or more parties. The mediator can help disputing parties reach an agreement on all or part of the issues in dispute without going to court or otherwise making the situation worse. The mediator does not take sides or make decisions. The mediator helps parties identify issues and explore settlement options.
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Who is involved in the mediation process? |
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Anyone who is interested in the child’s welfare should be involved in the mediation session including parents, foster parents, attorneys, Guardians ad Litem, Social workers, Cabinet attorneys, CASA volunteers, and others, such as an on-going therapist. The Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) provides trained and experienced mediators to facilitate the process.
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How and when is a case referred? |
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Mediation may be referred during any part of the Dependency, Neglect, and Abuse court process. Most cases are court ordered. If you believe a specific case might benefit from mediation, you are encouraged to suggest it to your judge.
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Who pays for the mediation? |
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AOC is able to provide this service free of charge with federal funds from the Court Improvement Project and the Children’s Justice Act.
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What counties are involved? |
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Child Protection mediation has been a part of Jefferson County Courts for several years. The Child Protection Mediation Program was originally implemented as a pilot in the Harrison/Pendleton/Robertson/Nicholas family court in April 2004. Currently, we are operating in Fayette, Franklin, Pulaski/Lincoln/Rockcastle, Campbell, Barren/Metcalf, Hardin, Boyle/Mercer, and Clark/Madison counties. AOC is working to make Child Protection Mediation available statewide.
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For more information, contact: |
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Shanea Garretson
(502) 573-2350
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