FARS brings parent and child together in a mediation effort designed to strengthen and preserve the family unit. The program targets families in crisis with adolescent children that have been identified by referring agencies as exhibiting "incorrigible" behavior such as truancy, delinquency, and drug usage. The CYS mediators who participate in the FARS program receive supplemental training in child development, adolescent issues, and family dynamics. These mediators bring parent and child together in a series of mediations, lasting two or three hours each, with the aim of achieving a written agreement between both parties to end family disputes related to curfews, schoolwork, parental defiance, and other issues identified by both parties. The goal is to restore peace and security in the home for the teen and the adult.
FARS recently implemented the Mediation Assistance for Young Adults (MAYA) program to mediate conflicts between teen mothers and fathers, and their parents. MAYA is based on results from focus groups conducted at Los Angeles County Office of Education School's La Vida West and La Vida South that identified the special needs of teen parents. The long range goal of MAYA is to provide a nurturing environment for the child. We are anxious to begin serving this new population.