Parent/Youth Facilitation

What is the eligibility criteria for families to participate in Parent/Youth Facilitation?

• Youth is 14-17 years old
• Concerns exist that youth may be at risk for removal into foster care
• Families reside in one of the pilot counties: Saline, Shawnee, and Wyandotte

What is the cost?

Parent/Youth Facilitation is provided at no cost to families who qualify through referral from community service organizations to the local prosecutor’s office. 

What are the system-wide goals of Parent/Youth Facilitation?

• Decrease the number of older youth entering foster care
• Keep youth with their families whenever possible and appropriate
• Decrease the number of youth aging out of foster care

How do eligible families access Parent/Youth Facilitation?

Referrals come from community agencies to the county/district attorney who determines eligibility. Families choose whether they participate. Referring agencies may include the Department for Children and Families, community based providers, law enforcement, schools, juvenile intake

Who facilitates Parent/Youth Facilitation sessions?

Facilitators are Kansas-Approved Parent-Adolescent Mediators who have specialized training and experience working with families and adolescents.

Parent-Adolescent Mediation has been shown to be an effective way for families to address issues of daily living that may include curfew, school attendance and performance, choice of friends, household responsibilities and similar situations. 

Why participate in Parent/Youth Facilitation?

• Parent/Youth Facilitation helps young people and their families resolve conflicts by reducing tensions, improving communication, and creating better understanding among family members.
• It allows for equal input from family members to decide how their dispute will be resolved.
• Facilitation tends to be short-term and focuses on resolving current issues and planning for the future. Facilitation is not counseling and is not intended to replace counseling or therapy.
• Facilitators are Kansas-Approved Parent-Adolescent Mediators who have experience working with families and teens. They come from a variety of backgrounds, including law, education, human service professions, clergy, public administration and other areas.

What are the focus and goals of Parent/Youth Facilitation?

• Parent/Youth Facilitation helps families resolve conflicts of everyday living. At the same time, it lets parents and young people learn new ways of handling strong emotions of family conflict.
• Example topics include: school attendance and performance, curfew and social life, household responsibilities, and privacy and communication.
• A goal of PYF is to develop a mutually agreed upon solution as a family.

What happens during a Parent/Youth Facilitation Session?

First, a Parent/Youth Facilitation coordinator speaks individually with youth and their parent(s). The coordinator provides information about the process; gains an understanding of the family’s issues; and, with the family, makes an assessment to decide whether facilitation is appropriate.

A joint session is then arranged for both the parent and youth to meet with the facilitator. The facilitator guides the family to identify issues; explore options that work for them; encourage productive communication; and, ideally develop an agreement.