Child Voices
Evaluative Views of the Child Reports, Child Interviews, and Parenting Time Implementation Planning Across British Columbia
When parenting disputes become entrenched, the most important question is no longer what happened in the past. It is what happens next. Many families remain stuck for years—cycling through court applications, escalating conflict, and losing precious time with their children—without ever receiving clear guidance about how meaningful progress can occur. Children have a right to be heard when decisions significantly affecting their lives are being made. At the same time, families often require practical guidance to move beyond conflict and implement workable solutions. Based in Kelowna and serving families throughout British Columbia by video conference, Cori L. McGuire provides structured child interviews, evaluative views of the child reports, and implementation-focused recommendations designed to help parents, lawyers, mediators, arbitrators, Parenting Coordinators, and courts better understand children's perspectives and move difficult cases forward. A child's voice is important. A child's burden is not.
Children Have a Right to Be Heard
Children capable of forming their own views have the right to express those views in matters affecting them. This principle is recognized internationally through Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. British Columbia law reflects the same principle. Section 37(2)(b) of the Family Law Act requires decision-makers considering parenting arrangements to consider: "the child's views, unless it would be inappropriate to consider them." A child's voice is important. A child's burden is not. Children should never be asked to choose between their parents or carry responsibility for adult decisions. The goal is to hear and understand the child's experience in a manner that is respectful, developmentally appropriate, and focused on the child's wellbeing.
Three Approaches to Hearing Children's Voices
Every family is different. Some situations require only a neutral report of a child's views. Others require a more comprehensive evaluative process or practical recommendations to help parents move forward. The following services provide different levels of information and guidance depending on the needs of the family and the issues to be addressed.
Non-evaluative Hear the Child Report
$1500
For the first child and $500/child thereafter
Child's views reported in their own words
Child-friendly explanation of the process
Discussion of confidentiality and its limits
Two-interview process
Neutral child interviewer
Child review and approval of information
Verbatim quotations where appropriate
No assessment of the child or parents
No recommendations or opinions
Typically completed within one week
No age limit but children younger than 7 usually have views that are difficult to communicate in this process
Evaluative Views of the Child Report
from $3000 per child *limits
$1,000 per additional child *limits
Everything included in a Hear the Child interview
Parent information forms
Review of limited and relevant background materials
Child-focused analysis
Developmental considerations
Family systems perspective
Trauma-informed approach
Neuroscience-informed perspective
Identification of practical concerns affecting the child
Evaluative observations
Recommendations where appropriate In the written report
Travel or court appearances are in addition
MY INTERVIEW METHODOLOGY
How Hearing the Voice of the Child Works
Every child interview begins with careful preparation.
Parents are invited to provide structured background information regarding the child, the family circumstances, and the issues to be discussed. This information assists the interviewer in understanding the child's circumstances and helps create a comfortable and developmentally appropriate environment for the interview.
Children are provided with a clear explanation of the interview process, including the limits of confidentiality, the purpose of the interview, and how the information may be used. Children are informed that they are not the client, that the interviewer is not their lawyer, and that they are not responsible for making decisions between their parents.
The interview process generally includes two separate meetings with the child. During the first interview, the child's views, concerns, wishes, and experiences are explored. During the second interview, the child's statements are reviewed to ensure accuracy and to provide an opportunity for the child to revise, clarify, add to, or remove information before the report is finalized.
The goal is not to tell the child what to say. The goal is to accurately capture the child's voice.
Nearly Three Decades of Listening to Children
I have been interviewing children and hearing children's perspectives in family law matters since 1997.
More than twenty-three years ago, I participated in the development of an early pilot project dedicated to creating a structured process for hearing children's voices in family law disputes. That early work contributed to the development of what is now the BC Hear the Child Society, which maintains a roster of trained child interviewers throughout British Columbia.
My work has continued to evolve through nearly three decades as a family lawyer, Parenting Coordinator, mediator, arbitrator, and dispute resolution professional.
Throughout that time, one principle has remained constant: Children should be heard, but they should never be placed in the middle.
Why Work With Me?
✓ Family law mediator and arbitrator ✓ Family Justice Institute training in parenting assessments ✓ Parenting Coordinator for 18 years ✓ Member of the BC Hear the Child Society ✓ High-conflict family expertise ✓ Child-focused methodology ✓ Trauma-informed approach ✓ Neuroscience-informed perspective ✓ Extensive report-writing experience ✓ Practical implementation expertise ✓ Services available throughout British Columbia ✓ Virtual interviews available where appropriate Whether you require a Hear the Child Report, an evaluative Child Voices report, or practical implementation recommendations, I would be pleased to discuss the process and determine which service best fits your family's needs.
What is an Evaluative Views of the Child Report?
An Evaluative Views of the Child Report is a focused assessment designed to understand and analyze a child's views about parenting arrangements, contact, communication, or family relationships. Unlike a non-evaluative Hear the Child Report, an evaluative report may examine developmental maturity, consistency of views, reasoning, and factors affecting the child's perspective. Views of the Child reports are generally understood to include interpretation of the child's views, while Hear the Child reports primarily communicate the child's views without assessment.
How is this different from a Hear the Child Report?
A Hear the Child Report is generally non-evaluative. The interviewer's role is to listen to the child and relay the child's views without assessing the child, the parents, or the child's best interests. An Evaluative Views of the Child Report goes further by considering issues such as developmental maturity, consistency of views, and possible barriers affecting the child's perspective.
Is this the same as a Section 211 Report?
No. A full Section 211 assessment is generally broader and may assess a child's needs, views, and one or both parents' ability and willingness to meet those needs. Some Section 211 assessments may involve extensive collateral interviews, home visits, or psychological testing depending on the assessor and mandate. This service is intended as a focused assessment of the child's views and the factors affecting implementation rather than a comprehensive parenting-capacity evaluation.
What ages of children are appropriate for this process?
Every child is different. The question is not simply age but developmental maturity and the child's ability to express views, experiences, wishes, and concerns. In practice, this service is often most useful for children older than six. Online interviews are best suited for older children and adolescents.
What happens during the child interview?
The process is designed to be respectful, developmentally appropriate, and child-focused.
Children are first provided with information about the purpose of the interview, the limits of confidentiality, and how the information may be used. Interviews use primarily open-ended questions that allow children to explain their experiences, views, concerns, and hopes in their own words. The goal is to understand the child's perspective rather than to persuade the child toward any particular outcome. Evidence-based child interviewing practices emphasize open-ended questioning and allowing children to provide information in their own words.
What if my child refuses to see a parent?
Many referrals involve older children or teenagers who have become resistant to parenting time or have had little or no contact with a parent for an extended period.
The purpose of the assessment is not to assign blame. Instead, the process seeks to understand the child's perspective, identify barriers to progress, and explore realistic pathways forward. Every family situation is unique and conclusions must be based on the information gathered during the assessment process.
How do you avoid bias?
Confirmation bias is a recognized source of error in professional decision-making and occurs when individuals give greater weight to information that supports an existing belief than to information that challenges it.
My methodology specifically attempts to reduce confirmation bias by:
- using open-ended interviewing techniques;
- considering multiple explanations for the child's views;
- distinguishing observations from conclusions;
- documenting limitations;
- actively testing competing hypotheses rather than adopting a single theory early in the process.
The goal is to understand the child's actual views rather than fit the child into an adult narrative.
Can a child decide whether they will see a parent?
Children do not make legal decisions. Children have important views that may be considered by parents, lawyers, arbitrators, parenting coordinators, and courts. The weight given to those views depends on the child's maturity, circumstances, and the nature of the issue being decided. Children provide information; decision-makers remain responsible for legal decisions affecting the child.
What is Parenting Time Implementation Planning?
Implementation Planning is an optional service that may accompany the assessment.
It focuses on practical questions such as:
- What barriers are preventing progress?
- What supports might be required?
- What sequence of steps is realistic?
- What communication structures may help?
- How can conflict be reduced?
- What conditions might support future parenting time or contact?
The purpose is not to revisit past blame but to develop a realistic roadmap for moving forward.
How long does the process take?
Most focused Evaluative Views of the Child Reports involve:
- review of relevant background materials;
- child interviews;
- analysis; and
- report preparation.
Where requested, an additional implementation-planning component may be completed. The exact time required depends on the complexity of the issues, the number of children, the materials provided, and the scope of the retainer.
What Might an Implementation Plan Look Like if My Child Has Not Seen the Other Parent for a Significant Period of Time?
Every family is different, and there is no universal formula for rebuilding a disrupted parent-child relationship. In many cases, the greatest obstacle is not simply the absence of contact but the absence of a structured process capable of moving the family forward.
Where appropriate, an Implementation Plan may focus on creating a detailed framework for decision-making, communication, accountability, and gradual implementation rather than immediately attempting to resolve all relationship issues at once.
Recommendations may include:
- Clearly defined parenting coordination authority and jurisdiction.
- A structured communication protocol designed to contain conflict and prevent repeated re-litigation of settled issues.
Written consultation processes that focus parents on implementation rather than blame. - One-issue-at-a-time decision-making to avoid overwhelming the process.
Limits on the length and frequency of submissions. - Separation of process complaints from substantive parenting issues so that allegations of unfairness, bias, or procedural concerns do not delay decisions regarding the child's needs.
- A defined determination process using contained and structured written submissions where agreement cannot be reached.
- Reunification counselling, therapeutic intervention, coaching, or other professional supports where appropriate.
- Detailed expectations regarding attendance, participation, scheduling, payment responsibilities, and communication with professionals.
- Court orders containing sufficiently specific terms to support implementation rather than leaving important steps undefined.
- Court review dates, compliance monitoring, or return-to-court provisions where enforcement or judicial supervision may ultimately be required.
In long-standing parent-child contact cases, the focus is often less on proving what happened in the past and more on identifying what conditions must exist for safe, stable, and realistic progress in the future. The objective is not to force a relationship. The objective is to create a structured process that gives the family the greatest opportunity to move from conflict toward implementation in a manner consistent with the child's best interests, including stability, predictability, and emotional safety.
Any implementation-planning recommendations are separate from the assessment of the child's views and do not determine parental rights, parental blame, or the ultimate legal outcome. They are intended to assist parents, lawyers, parenting coordinators, arbitrators, and courts in understanding what practical steps may support progress where traditional approaches have stalled.
Will the child be harmed by participating?
Protecting children from unnecessary harm is a central consideration of this process. The assessment is designed to be structured, transparent, and developmentally appropriate. Children are informed about the purpose of the interview, the limits of confidentiality, and how their participation fits into the larger process. The goal is for children to leave the process feeling heard, respected, and accurately represented.
Why choose this service instead of a full Section 211 assessment?
Some families need a comprehensive Section 211 assessment. Others need a more focused process that helps decision-makers understand the child's views and identify practical pathways forward without the time, cost, complexity, or intrusiveness of a full parenting assessment. This service is designed for those situations where decision-makers need meaningful information about the child's perspective together with practical implementation-focused thinking.
Navigate Parenting Challenges Smoothly
With expert guidance from Cori L. McGuire, resolve family disputes efficiently and amicably. Trust in our proven expertise to support your family’s unique needs in Kelowna.