• the increasing importance of understanding family law. At the same time that more professionals without a legal background are entering the field of family mediation, the practice of family mediation has become more legally complex. Increasing numbers of mediation clients do not have legal representation or even advice. Mediators are being asked to resolve a wider range of legal problems, including complex income determination, spousal support entitlement, quantum and duration, lump sum settlements, property valuations and division, tax issues, and more. Our designation recognizes the increasing responsibility that family mediators have to understand the law, and is designed to empower them to handle a wide range of cases with competence. As such we require 30 hours of family law training to become certified as well as annual family law training. 
• the increasing diversity of the FDR field. More FDR professionals are offering a diverse array of FDR services.
  
• the growing challenge of accessibility and affordability of family mediation training and internships, and the increasing sophistication and utility of technology to assist in meeting those challenges. The FDRIO designations anticipate a growing use of e-learning and other progressive teaching methods to help make family dispute resolution training more accessible, affordable and excellent.
  

The Ministry’s of the Attorney Generals’ Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Policy Directive (CW005-06) requires societies to use facilitators who are on the provincial roster managed by the Ontario Association of Family Mediation. A child protection mediator on the provincial roster, has satisfactorily completed the Child Protection Mediation Training and has the following prerequisites:

• A professional degree or diploma in the social services or children’s services;
• At least 60 hours of training in family mediation, both basic and advanced, to include a minimum of 20 hours of skill training;
• At least 10 family law cases mediated to the point of agreement;

OR

• Accreditation by the OAFM or Certification by Family Mediation Canada (FMC).

A child protection mediator on the provincial roster, also has the following:

• Professional liability insurance;
• A satisfactory criminal record check completed within the last three years; and
• Three satisfactory professional references.

Contact Gwen MacDonald, Director of the Child Protection Mediation Program, at the OAFM at: director@cpmed.ca for more information.