Information for Families

The facilitator will invite those family members who will be most helpful to have at the family group conference. The facilitator may decide not to invite certain people to the conference if they threaten the safety of others.

The conference is about bringing everyone who cares about the child together to plan for his or her future. It is important to stay focused on the child’s needs during the conference and not on blaming others.

As a family member who has been invited to the conference, you have a right to:

• be fully informed about the family group conference;
• be offered some choice about who you would like to facilitate the conference;
• have someone whom you trust to accompany you to the conference as your support person;
• have your ideas, plans and suggestions taken seriously (unless they are impractical, don’t keep the child safe or are against the law);
• provide feedback about the facilitator and the conference; and
• request another family group conference to review existing care and protection arrangements for your child if you are unhappy with decisions made at the previous conference.