Child Interviews and Observations
Hi everyone,
Just venting here. I seem to have a run of parents refusing to bring their children for interviews and forbidding observations between the children and the other parent (despite the Court Order).
I have just hung up the phone from a lawyer who told me that it was likely that I would assess that no observations would occur given the history of family violence (there are mutual allegations!!) and thus questioning why I would invite the other parent. I emphasised that I would make that call AFTER and not BEFORE interviewing the child under the pressure from a solicitor.
Is this the new trend? In three reports this month, I was told that it was too traumatising for the child to be interviewed. Furthermore, if I supervised an observation session, I would be accused of perpetuating (untested) family violence, which would be traumatising for the child. In my 10 years in child protection, I focused on addressing safety risks and promoting the child-parent relationship, with the ultimate goal of reunification. Now, in family law, if I consider facilitating a child/parent observation session with a parent who attracted allegations of family violence or illicit substance use, I am viewed as a family violence enabler or a child trafficker to appease perpetrators.
Thank you for reading...vent over.
Happy travels.
Hi April, it's definitely a frustrating situation when it occurs, but you are the expert and I don't think it's appropriate that you are pressured to alter your proposed schedule at the influence of solicitors. If you think an obs should occur, schedule it, and if it's obstructed by a parent, that can give you juicy info about the dynamic (resist refuse etc) and how it has formed/maintained. Sometimes I'll include a disclaimer when I send my proposed schedule stating that the schedule is subject to change based on information provided upon interview (by either parent or child) that gives me pause about the potential impact of an obs on a child. Same goes with whether the parents are in the building at the same time etc.
You're spot on with the difference between child protection and family law. I also have a child protection history, and it can be disorienting moving between jurisdictions because you're absolutely right, fam law seems more preoccupied with avoiding harm (also read promoting safety), whereas CP is more 'how much discomfort and risk is tolerable towards the ultimate goal of reunification and family stability.'
Thanks for your vent! Very validating to read!