Family Mediation
Mediation & Restorative Services’ Family Mediation program gives Muskegon and Oceana County families a safe, low-cost way to resolve conflict and plan for the future. Trained mediators facilitate voluntary or court-referred sessions for issues such as divorce/separation planning, parenting-time and custody, parent–child communication, guardianship/foster care decisions, and division of property or small business matters. All cases involving current or former intimate partners are screened for domestic violence and structured for safety (separate rooms/Zoom caucus, safety planning, or referral out when mediation isn’t appropriate). Sessions are offered in-person or via Zoom to remove transportation and work-schedule barriers; sliding-fee/fee waivers keep services accessible.
The process is participant-centered and trauma-informed: staff conduct intake, clarify issues, and help parties generate mutually acceptable full or partial agreements. Participants complete brief surveys on fairness, voice, and next-step confidence; staff offer resource referrals and follow-ups (often within 12 months) to check durability of agreements. Referrals come from Family Courts, Judges, Friend of the Court, and attorneys, as well as direct community outreach (employers, senior complexes, schools/childcare). A recent case—an FOC-referred parent–teen mediation—produced a school-year schedule both accepted and followed, improving communication and reducing stress for the family.
Why this supports United Way’s mission/priorities:
Family conflict directly undermines health, learning, and work stability—all core to United Way’s mission and its Healthy Families/Individuals → Healthy Lifestyles strategy to increase access to social services and enhance safe environments. By replacing adversarial litigation with facilitated problem-solving, this program lowers stress, improves co-parent communication, reduces missed school/work, and helps ALICE families avoid costly legal processes while reaching practical agreements they can maintain. United Way funding sustains affordable fees/waivers, timely case management, volunteer mediator training, and outreach, ensuring more families—especially those facing financial or transportation barriers—can access safe, effective conflict resolution when it matters most.