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Schedules meetings with disputing parties in safe, neutral settings.

Examples of parties the agency works with:

- Families experiencing divorce, to reach custody and parenting agreements.

- Juvenile offenders, to see the harm caused by their crimes, rebuild trust, and reduce recidivism.

- Neighbors facing property disputes in small claims court.

- Parents and their children who are involved in the child welfare system.

- Companies challenged with internal employee disputes, learning new ways to communicate.

- Parents with concerns regarding their special needs child’s instructional path.

- Relatives navigating the care of their elders.

- Tenants facing eviction and homelessness, to participate in mediation and reach agreements to remain in their housing or create a structured path forward.

- Landlords looking at way to keep tenants in occupancy or to minimize expenses associated with the formal eviction process.

Offers free mortgage counseling for homeowners and will help with a third-party mediation to help get modifications on home loans. Works in conjunction with Iowa Legal Aid if legal services are needed during the advocacy process. 

• Mediation - Mediation can be a less expensive alternative to litigation. Typically mediation occurs between both parents and a neutral mediator.

• Parenting Coordination - Parenting coordination is a child-centered option for resolving common or day-to-day conflicts between divorced parents. Not only does this service help resolve disputes between parents without the need to go to court, it also gives parents tools and techniques to work together and find child-focused solutions to their conflicts.

• Neutral Evaluation - The goal of neutral evaluation is to improve communication between disputing parties and provide everyone with a better understanding of important issues. During this process, a neutral expert assesses the case and works to understand each party.

Provides help with parenting after a separation or divorce, offering joint parenting sessions at no cost to any Iowa parents. Sessions are designed to help parents find common ground, reduce conflict, improve communication and design a communication plan, resolve parenting disputes, craft parenting plans. Offers a unique child-centered approach helps keep kids out of the middle and helps parents make progress. Kids First serves as a neutral exchange location for parents who need help exchanging their children peacefully. Provides a child-friendly environment that ensures a smooth transition for children from one parent to the other without the parents meeting. Kids First also coaches parents so they can work toward having conflict-free exchanges on their own. Exchanges are free.

Oversees aspects of court-connected family mediation program in the (Iowa) Sixth Judicial District and small claims mediation program in Johnson County (Iowa).

Provides information to parties about mediation, preparing for mediation, how it works.

Provides training to mediators and attorneys about mediation, screening for safety and capacity of parties re: using mediation, screening for appropriateness of mediation in a given situation, etc. Provides CLE relevant primarily to family law attorneys.

Provides Restorative Justice process for parties in diverse cases, as requested.