Clinton News-Record, 1986-05-14, Page 3CLINTON NEWSMRECORD, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 1.
You're still parents a
By Anne Narejko
CLINTON - Messy custody battles aren't
good for anyone, least of allseparations.
hecrhildres.To
children. To
help avoid such damaging pa
divorces, the Duron -Perth Centres For
Children and Youth is offering a closed
mediation .service, a program aimed at
helping divorcing or separated parents with
children.
"We deal with the custody and access of
the children," explained program co-
ordinator Shirley Hackman who will be
handling the mediation service with Nancy
McLeod and Sandy Stuart, all employees at
the Centre. "We don't deal with money or
give any legal advice."
The program has been running on a trial
basis for the past year and a half, but with
the recent change in legislation, the Centre
now wants to make the service known to the
public.
As of January of this year, the provincial
family law reform act recommends that two
forms of mediation for custody and access
be available. The two types are full report
(or open mediation) and closed mediation.
As of February of 1986, the Federal
Divorce Act requires lawyers to inform
their clients of the mediation available:
Confidentiality
Full report mediation consists of a full
report and assessment but the Huron -Perth
Centre does not offer this type of mediation,
they offer the closed mediation which
stresses confidentiality.
"The written agreenc pnt is in the parents'
own words, they 411,nlle the decisions,
but it is specific so the patients don't have to
talk to each other niuch,df they don't want
to," explained Ms. hackman.
She feels that closed r?nediationcan allow
the parents to be more'honest and up front
about their feelings and about events which
have led up to the separation or divorce.
In Ms. Hackman s opinion, another point
"It's A Small World" was performed by the Varna Sunday School children during
Stanley Township's Variety Night on May 9. The complex was filed to capacity as local
entertainers showed their talent. Here, Melanie Culbert, looks out at the audience during
the Sunday school's performance. (Anne Narejko photo)
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that will bring out honesty is the fact that
the parents are not assessed as they are in
full report.,
"We're not willing to take sides. We act as
a neutral third party in the best interest of
the children," she said, explaining that at
times a third person is needed to have a
business like relationship where the
children are concerned.
Children Come First
The first step taken in the closed media-
tion is to "get in touch with the lawyers in-
volved and ask them to let the issue of the
children go first," said Ms. Hackman. "The
parents may never be the best of friends, but
there's no reason why the children should
lose either parent."
One assumption the Huron -Perth Centr
makes is that the parents are still the ost
competent people to raise the children.
"There are few parents who are bad for
their children," said Ms. Hackman.
During the initial stages of a break-up,
Ms. Hackman says it is not uncommon for
the parents to use the children as
"weapons." In mediation, the neutral third
party points this out and tries to help them
re-evaluate the situation.
Ms. Hackman also says it is common for a
parent who has not been active with the
children to become more involved with
them during or after the separation or
divorce.
Joint Custody
The worst possible situation' a child could
be in is to have their parents separated but
still fighting with one another, according to
Ms. Hackman. The second worst situation
would be to have the parents living together
and still fighting, and the best situation
would be joint custody.
"Joint custody, or shared parenting, is
when the couple share the legal respon-
sibilities of raising the children. That means
the basic care issues, school and so on," ex -
Page 3
er divorce
planed Ms. Hackman.
She has often heard children say their
parents got "the good kind of divorce - the
kind where I get to keep both of thern" when
joint custody bas been arranged.
Benefits
The greatest benefits of the closed media-
tion program are the protective environ-
ment which the process is carried out in and
the fact that the children's interests are
looked after.
"In closed mediation, they won't have to
worry about what is said ending up in
court...No other process allows that to hap-
pen," said Ms. Hackman.
However, in some cases, full reportis the
only type of mediation that will work. In the
case of child abuse, family violence or
substance abuse, mediation is
inappropriate.
"We can't be sure the children's needs
will be met because they can't speak openly
because of fear," said Ms. Hackman.
Mediation is beneficial for the children
because it is their needs which the parents
and the neutral third party are trying to
meet.
"We let them know that we act clearly m
the best interest of the children - we make no
bones about it," said Ms. Hackman.
A presentation on closed mediation will be
made at the Huron County Community Ser-
vices Council meeting in the basement of the
Ministry of Agricutlure and Food building in
Clinton on May 15 at 10 a.m. The public is
welcome to attend.
"Closed mediation provides an alter-
native to the traditional system which does
not handle the situation well - it's the
children that lose," says Ms. Hackman.
Anyone wishing to know more about the
program cap attend the meeting or contact
Shirley Hackman at 482-3931.
Hurwiview drug average is low
odkidtAkaki
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HURONVIEW The county -operated
hone for the aged pear Clinton, maintains
the "lowest overall average" for drug use
by its patients, Huron County Council was
recently told:
Wayne Lester, Huronview Administrator,
made the claim during presentation of his
annual report to council at its regular mon-
thly session in Goderich.
Mr. Lester.told council the director of nur-
sing at Huronview was "mostpleased" with
a Ministry of health report which revealed
that the use of drugs at the institution was in
order.: The ministry periodically audits the
drug situation at Huronview.
The ministry's report showed that, in an
area which includes Windsor, Sarnia, Lon-
don and Goderich, Huroiiview's average for
the number of drugs used per patient per
day in homes for the aged was lowest
overall.
"There is no drug abuse at Huronview,"
Mr. Lester said. A•continuing review of drug
use helps to keep the average low, he added.
Outside the meeting, Mr. Lester said the
average use of prescription drugs at, the
home is 3.8 prescriptions per patient.
Also during his report, Mr. Lester pointed
out that 52.5 per cent of the home's 168 pa-
tients requiring extended care were in the
category of "heavey extended care". The
administrator said he has taken the position
that if a resident requires nursing and per-
sonal care of more than three hours per day,
the care is then considered to be heavy ex-
tended care.
He referred to a recent article from a
trade journal in which another nursing
home's administrator had complained that
ministry of'health funding was for 1.5 to 1.8
hoursof care while expecting the homes to
provide more.
At the time the annual report was
prepared, there were a total of 283 residents
at the home. Of that total, 125 required less
than 1.5 hours of care, while 75 required ex-
tended care — 1.5 to three hours — and 83
residents required heavy extended care.
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