MWI’s Family Mediation Program
Problem to Be Addressed
MWI’s Family Mediation Program helps income-eligible parents in crisis work out effective co-parenting plans with the overall goal of preventing behavioral setbacks for their children. Parents who ignore their obligation to pay child support, often because of lack of involvement in the child’s life, are brought to court by the State. In court, they are often angry that a child support order is established but a parenting or visitation plan is not.
MWI’s Approach & Methodology
MWI’s Family Mediation Program provides parents with the opportunity and self-confidence to resolve and make informed decisions regarding their children. Unmarried parents and parents seeking divorce will find mediation instrumental in helping them effectively co-parent their children, draft child support and parenting agreements and significantly decrease the risk of poverty and adverse health, behavioral, and lower academic outcomes for their children. MWI Mediators are available to be on-site at Probate and Family Courts and to mediate cases at MWI.
Expected Outcomes
MWI will provide 100 parents with mediation services each year. We will also conduct post mediation research to find out if parents who are called to court to establish child support payments will become more active in the their child’s life and if as a result, child support payments are made on time and regularly.
For More Information
Please contact Chuck Doran, Executive Director, at cdoran@mwi.org or 617-895-4026.
