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What is a Voice of the Child Report?  Please fill out the form at the bottom of this page after reading the information.

Children have the right to be heard when parents make decisions about co-parenting plans after separation. The right to be heard can be found in United Nations Convention for the Rights of the Child ratified by Canada (Article 12).  

Hearing your children’s views, preferences, concerns and wishes can help you focus on your children’s needs and wellbeing, and help you settle parenting plan issues. Hearing the voice of your children can offset one parent’s claims against the other, assist in cases of mobility (a move), as well as assist in resolving disagreements about decision making, time sharing, and other parenting issues. You may just want to better understand your children’s wishes and preferences, concerns and needs.  

Children often have a difficult time sharing their thoughts and concerns about these sensitive issues directly with their parents, particularly if they are aware of any conflict. Speaking to a neutral professional voice of the child practitioner is often much easier and more comfortable. Having an opportunity to share their thoughts is usually much appreciated and helpful.  

Children have a voice but not a choice: parents make the final decisions about their parenting plan. In mediation the parents make the final decisions. In arbitration the Arbitrator would make the final decision, or if in court, the Judge would make the final decision.  

Once consent is obtained from the parents, the practitioner will meet with each parent to obtain some background information about the children. The practitioner then seeks to obtain consent from the children to speak individually on two separate occasions. Siblings are seen separately. The practitioner will then provide the information the children are willing to share back to the parents. 


To read the documents related to Voice of the Child Reports – Who this program is not for, VCR FAQ’s and Costs for VCR, please click here.