Requirements to apply for Child Protection Mediation Training
In order to conduct child protection mediation work in the province of Ontario, mediators must be registered on the Ontario Child Protection Mediation Roster that is administered and managed by the Ontario Association for Family Mediation (OAFM). The Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services (MCCSS) has established training and eligibility requirements that must be met in order for a mediator to be placed on the roster (Ministry Policy Directive: CW 005-06). Candidates must meet the following criteria in order to be accepted into the training:
- Accreditation as a Family Mediator by OAFM or Certification as a Family Mediator by Family Mediation Canada; or equivalency, defined as:
a) Proof of a professional degree or diploma in social services or children’s services;
b) Proof of completion of at least 60 hours of training in family mediation, both basic and advanced, to include a minimum of 20 hours of skill training;
c) Proof of completion of 21 hours of domestic violence training;
d) Completion of at least 10 family mediation cases mediated to the point of agreement that the applicant has mediated or co-mediated, with submission of redacted Memoranda of Understanding or Mediation Reports. - Submission of proof of professional liability insurance of at least $1,000,000.
- Submission of a satisfactory Vulnerable Sector Screening completed within the last three years.
- Submission of three satisfactory professional references (Reference Form).
- A signed Declaration Form which outlines the applicant’s agreement to abide by the OAFM Professional Code of Conduct. (Declaration Form)
- Submission of a current resume.
PLEASE NOTE: Each ministry (MCCSS) region in Ontario has one or more ADR agencies which manage the ADR referrals and assignments at a local level. Please check with the agency in your region to see if they are currently recruiting Child Protection Mediators to add to their local roster. Agencies are listed here.
Application Process
The Child Protection Mediation course is open to candidates who meet the above eligibility requirements. OAFM reserves the right to limit the number of participants admitted into each training course to ensure a quality training experience.
Training dates are:
Saturday February 22, 2025 (Law Day)
Monday February 24, 2025 (Main Training)
Tuesday February 24, 2025 (Main Training)
Wednesday February 26, 2025 (Main Training)
Wednesday March 5, 2025 (Main Training)
Thursday March 6, 2025 (Main Training)
The courses will be held from 9:00 am until 4:30 pm, each day with a lunch break at noon and breaks in the morning and afternoon. The course will be offered online.
Applicants are responsible for the technology on their end of the training and should be available to participate full-time in the training by both audio and video.
An exemption from the Law course may be permitted depending upon the applicant’s academic/work related experience. Please email the request for exemption to the Program Manager (director@cpmed.ca).
The application process is as follows:
- Please submit all required documents for review to the Program Manager by email (director@cpmed.ca) at least four weeks prior to the start of the course. Please note: for new applicants to OAFM, December 31, 2024 is the last date new applications to OAFM will be accepted for review by the accreditation committee prior to the 2025 Child Protection Mediation Training course.
- Once eligible applicants are approved to take the course, the Program Manager will send the applicant confirmation by email with a link to the portal. At this point, applicants will be asked to upload the required documentation to the Ontario Child Protection Mediation Roster portal. (Please note: this is a separate roster from the OAFM main directory).
- Once an applicant has been accepted into the training, the course fee of $1300.00 + HST ($1469.00) must be paid (https://www.oafm.on.ca/events/). The payment in full is due two weeks prior to the start of training. If payment is not received in time, the training spot will be offered to the next eligible applicant on the reserve list.
- Training spaces are assigned in the order in which the completed applications are received and assessed for eligibility.
- Refund Policy: The $1300.00 tuition fee less a $100 administrative fee is refundable (a maximum of $1200 +HST is refunded) if notice is given in writing to the Program Manager and received at least 72 hours prior to commencement of the course. If notification is received in writing less than 72 hours prior to the commencement of the course, there will be no refund; the paid amount can be credited towards a future OAFM sponsored course. Once the course commences, no further refunds or credit will be issued.
Post Training
- Upon successful completion of all three elements of the course (written evaluation, peer evaluation, and instructor evaluation of the role plays), your name will be added to the Ontario Child Protection Mediation Roster.
- For those applicants who are not successful in their completion of the Child Protection Mediation Course, a remedial path may be considered by the trainers and next steps will be discussed with the applicant.
Maintaining your Roster Listing
Once you have completed the training and been successfully listed on the Ontario Child Protection Mediation Roster, you will need to fulfill annual requirements to remain in good standing on the roster.
- You must update your insurance on an annual basis.
- You must update the Vulnerable Sector Check every three years.
- A signed annual renewal declaration is required to be executed on an annual basis at the same time, usually done when you update your insurance.
- All documents need to be uploaded on to your profile and they must be current.
- OAFM reserves the right to remove anyone from the roster who is not in good standing. While OAFM sends out reminders to mediators, it is the mediator’s responsibility to ensure that they remain in good standing.
Additional Training
Each year, the OAFM Child Protection Mediation Committee and the Program Manager organize advanced training. For example, advanced training in openness in adoption, advanced training in working with people who have experienced trauma, or advanced training in working with youth.
For more information about advanced training opportunities, please login to your profile and check “News” column or contact the Program Manager. director@cpmed.ca