HELP FOR CHILDREN, PARENTS AND RELATIVES IN HIGH-CONFLICT DIVORCE The Turvassa Project 2019–2021
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THE TURVASSA PROJECT • Finds new ways to support children and to strengthen their participation • Develops operating models and practices for ascertaining the child’s wishes, fears and opinions • Develops safe meeting practices for child parent meetings • Creates a change-based parenting model to ensure safe parallel parenting • Creates a multiprofessional tool for serious risk assessment to ensure the safety of the parent and child • Develops coordinated and cooperative practices for child protection, social services, health care, family law, domestic violence workers and police • Create an extensive and solid collaborative network
on Finding a safe soluti sts is in the best intere of the child .
Help for children, parents, and relatives in high-conflict divorce AROUND 40,000 children’s parents divorce each year. The majority of parents are able to amicably agree on how to consider the best interests of their child, but around 1,500* children’s parents begin to argue over their child in a prolonged and destructive way.
cult divorce, and there are hardly any successful practices to help divorcing families.
In high-conflict divorces, the parents experience serious conflict, the threat of violence, or actual violence. Prolonged conflict surrounding divorce puts the child’s growth, development, and safety at risk.
Many bodies work with families, such as child welfare supervisors, child protection services, health care, the judicial system, and in some cases, the police. The strict boundaries between professional structures, a lack of shared information and decentralized data all contribute to the current problem. No actor has a comprehensive overview of the situation. This can pose a risk to the child’s rights and safety.
The situation is also difficult for anyone trying to help. Professionals may find it challenging to recognize the risks of a diffi-
When their parents divorce, the child has the right to be heard, retain their personal relationships, and to feel safe.
n in n within a family ca io ut ec rs pe d an ce Violen lead to a familicide. io ar en sc se ca trs wo the *1694 high-conflict divorces were recorded in 2016.
The project is carried out by The Federation of Mother and Child Homes and Shelters, Turun ensi- ja turvakoti ry and Viola – väkivallasta vapaaksi ry in collaboration with several other partners.
#Turvassa About the project
The Federation of Mother and Child Homes and Shelters Project manager, Johanna Vaitomaa | tel. +358 (0)50 566 0197 Specialist, Heli Korpipää | tel. +358 (0)50 434 9003 firstname.lastname@etkl.fi Viola – väkivallasta vapaaksi ry, Emmi Heikkinen | tel. +358 (0)50 476 8736 Heli Isotalus | tel. +358 (0)46 923 8191 firstname.lastname@violary.fi Turun ensi- ja turvakoti ry Hanna Sykkö | tel. +358 (0)50 476 3066 Ulla Mikkola | tel. +358 (0)50 476 3001 Roosa Tenhunen | tel. +358 (0)50 368 3439 firstname.lastname@tuentu.fi
The Federation Of Mother And Child Homes And Shelters Turun ensi- ja turvakoti ry | Viola – väkivallasta vapaaksi ry