Alternative Dispute Resolution
Nanoogdwenj-jik Circle Approach for First Nation, Metis & Inuit
The History of the ADR Program
- In 2007, Simcoe CAS incorporated Case Conferencing into its services which later developed into an Indigenous Circle Facilitator.
- The rates of client engagement and service provision for the FNMI families benefited greatly and a desire to tap into Indigenous Approaches to ADR was a way to serve more complex families involved in the Child Welfare court system and divert those cases.
- In 2008, a working group was established to seek funding through EBBS however, no success for two years.
- MCYS approached BANAC in October 2010 to pilot the process in Simcoe and also engage the Indigenous communities in Central East region with respect to ADR.
- The Central East Region includes Simcoe, York, Durham, North Cumberland and Kawartha/Haliburton Child Welfare Organizations.
- Blue Hills Child & Family Services provides FGDM and child mediation in the Central East Region.
Desired Outcomes
- To keep families together
- To prevent children from coming into CAS care
- To divert family (CAS) cases from the CFSA court system.
Please call the office for more information: 705-734-1818