A LOCAL mediator is backing a Government report that highlights the importance of children being heard when their parents separate or divorce.

Tara Knight said it is not commonly known that children can be consulted within the mediation process, and the Government say children from the age of 10 should be consulted. The recently published Voice of the Child report is one of a number of recent publications to stress the importance of listening to the voice of the child.

Tara, who offers mediator services locally as a consultant for Gateway and Blanchards Bailey Mediation as well as under her own business name Tara Knight Family Mediation, says she cares passionately about helping separating families and including children in the process.

She is keen to promote the work of the Voices in the Middle project, a charity run scheme that is uniquely provided by a small group of young people who have experienced their own parents' separation or divorce and who want to offer support and help to other young people going through the same kind of turmoil.

Tara said: "Extensive research studies found that when separated parents co-operate over their children and support them, most children adjust to the changes in their lives and resume their normal course of development whereas parental conflict before, during and after separation is associated with behavioural problems for children.

"Mediation is one process option out of several that can be used to achieve settlements within separating families but it is led by the parties and not by others making decisions on their family."

Tara says mediation and collaborative law options can be vital in parents remaining amicable or developing a working co-parenting relationship for the future.

She added that the many people are still not clear that legal aid remains available for separating couples and if one party qualifies for legal aid, subject to an income and a capital test, then the other party will also be free of charge for both the initial individual information and assessment meeting and any first joint session. Tara also assists the charity Relate with its supervised contact sessions and recommends its free Separating Parents Information Programme and the Strengthening Families Programme for families with 10 to 14 year olds.