Child Protection Mediation
Last updated on January 18, 2022Child welfare workers work closely with families and communities to protect children from abuse, neglect and harm. At all times, their number one concern is to ensure the child's safety and well-being.
The Child, Family and Community Service Act, describes the steps that must be taken for child welfare workers to respond and assess concerns about a child’s safety and well-being.
Once that's done - whether the child remains at home, lives with a relative or caregiver with significant ties to the child, or comes into care - the family extended family, community, child welfare worker, caregiver, and others work together to plan for the child's future.
Mediation is one option available to help families through this planning process. Mediation services are available to families who are working with Child Protection Services of the Ministry of Children and Family Development or a delegated Aboriginal child and family service agency. Mediation can help people to agree on what's best for children without having to go to court. This is called child protection mediation.
A mediator is a trained neutral person who does not take sides or make decisions about a case. Their role is to bring parents, child welfare workers and others together and make certain the discussion remains focused, organized and respectful. Mediators encourage people to find common interests and work towards a mutually acceptable solution that meets the child’s needs.
There is no cost for having a child protection mediator.
Parents’ Rights, Kids’ Rights: A Parents’ Guide to Child Protection Law in BC explains child protection law in B.C. and includes information on child protection mediation.
These charts illustrate B.C.’s child protection processes:
Select a mediator from the child protection mediator roster.
For more information, see Child Protection Services and Collaborative Planning and Decision-Making in Child Welfare.
View the Child Protection Response Policies and standards that guide child protection worker practice and decision-making.
Note: some links within the policies are not accessible.