The Ontario Association for Family Mediation (OAFM) is responsible for the maintenance and oversight of the Ontario Child Protection Mediator Roster. OAFM offers expertise in the development of best practices, training, professional development, and consultation to ADR agencies and to individual Child Protection Mediators across Ontario to enhance their capacity to deliver effective Child Protection Mediation services. OAFM is also responsible for building awareness of Child Protection Mediation as a prescribed method of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) by working in collaboration with partners across the ADR service delivery spectrum to promote relationship-building and networking at a provincial level, and to build a community of practice.
Child Protection Mediation is a process for working out disagreements between families and children’s aid societies with the help of a trained independent person (a Child Protection Mediator). Child Protection Mediation helps families focus on the best interests of the child, and work towards a solution that is acceptable to everyone involved. Child Protection Mediation is one ADR option available to help families and Children’s aid societies through the planning and/or court process. Child Protection Mediation is available to all families who are working with children’s aid societies.