Restoring Youth: Creative Courts & Caring Communities

Family Group Decision Making

Family Group Decision Making and Truancy (Non-attendance) Mediation focuses on:
- What relationships need to be built?
- What relationships need to be restored?
Restorative Practices believes:
- Children are precious members of the community and we have an obligation to support them in reaching their potential.
- Every child, family and environment is unique and must be treated as such.
- Families are doing the best that they can.
- Families possess the answers to their problems and may need support in uncovering those answers.
- Building and restoring relationships are key in helping to get and keep children attending school.
Family Group Decision Making:
- All interventions should have engagement of the child and the family as the priority. When we work with the child and family:
- We increase the likeliness of a positive outcome.
- We will increase cooperation and collaboration.
- We will increase the probability of change.
- Plan of Action should contain:
- Clear and specific goals
- Clearly defined shared responsibilities
- Timelines
- Explanations of positive and negative consequences
- Follow-up