What is a Voice Of The Child Report?
Oftentimes in a divorce or separation there is the inevitable splitting of assets, determining who gets what and what each party wants from the separation agreement. But, what happens when children and parenting decisions are involved? If you have children and are going through a separation, you may be wondering what is involved in parenting decisions? Who makes decisions, who gets what amount of time with the children and most importantly, how does your child’s needs and wants come into play? This is where a “Voice of the Child Report” can be useful.
Maybe you’ve heard of a VOC Report or maybe you’re new to the term. In this blog we will discuss what a Voice of the Child Report is, how it works, what it’s used for and how these reports can help give your child a voice when it comes to parenting decisions.
What is a VOC Report?
A Voice of the Child report is a written statement created by a trained clinician which expresses a child’s desire regarding a number of topics, but mainly used to help inform parent decisions. It can be and is most commonly used within a court of law.
Why is a Voice of the Child Report Needed?
A VOC Report can be required for a number of reasons. The report is used to determine a child’s views and wishes and can help the parents to come to an agreement on various child related matters (extra curricular activities, school, schedule of time with parent, etc).
Who Facilitates a VOC Report?
The professionals who create these reports are known as “assessors” and can include: VOC trained social workers, psychotherapists, lawyers.
How is a Voice of the Child Report Created and What Does it Mean for Your Child?
A lot goes into creating a detailed VOC report that accurately represents what’s best for the child, including their wants and needs. The process can include interviews with both the child and the parents, but an exact process is always determined on a case by case basis informed by the needs of the child, parents, council and/or courts.
The purpose of the report is to give a voice to an otherwise potentially voiceless party (the child), whose life will also be affected by the decision made by the courts or parents. Hence, the child has a voice but does not make the choice.
Interested to learn more about Voice of the Child Reports? Contact us for further information and assistance!
