Black Mediation Centre offers two Alternative Dispute Resolution methods for the African, Caribbean, and Black community informed by traditional Family Group Conferencing (FGC). FGC is used as an alternative to court processes for families engaged in the child welfare system. 

FGC’s are a process that bring together the immediate and extended family, community, child protection workers, and service providers to develop a plan that addresses the protection concerns identified by the CAS. 

A trained coordinator assists participants throughout the process. 

The ACB-FGC service is a cultural adaptation of the traditional FGC model used to better support the distinct needs of ACB communities. It was developed in response to the overrepresentation of ACB communities in child welfare.  

There are two types of Family Group Conferences (FGCs):

• For ACB Families 
• For ACB Youth Preparing to Transition Out of Child Welfare 

BMC also offers a suite of courses for professionals and community members interested in becoming certified family court mediators in Ontario. You can find out more about this curriculum, its course schedule and prices, here.