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THE CHILD CENTERED MODEL

The Child Centered approach focuses the attention and goals of the mediation session towards the child, and reinforces healthy relationships between parent and child. Mediators must remain impartial on ultimate decisions, and direct the focus to the child.

Parents involved in a dispute concerning custody and visitation or support are often consumed with their own psychological needs. While mediators must be able to recognize and acknowledge the needs of the parents, they must encourage the parents to create a secure environment for the child.

The process itself can be depicted in this graphic: Marriage Relationship Husband and wife primary relationship Focus on each other as well as child
Relationship is transformed Two individuals without responsibility for each other Shared responsibility for child Focus on child, not each other

Credit: "Mediating Custody and Visitation: A Child-Centered Perspective, Participant's Workbook" by The New York State Dispute Resolution Association, Inc., Designed and Developed by Mark Kleiman, J.D. and Richard Mandell, J.D. 1996

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