A compass but not a road map: Diversity considerations with the AFCC Guidelines on Parenting Plan Evaluations

• Published date: 01 January 2023
• Author: April Harris‐Britt
• Date: 01 January 2023
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/fcre.12693

COMMENTARY

A compass but not a road map: Diversity

considerations with the AFCC Guidelines

on Parenting Plan Evaluations

April Harris-Britt

AHB Forensics and Consulting, PLLC

Correspondence

April Harris-Britt,

Email: ahb@ahbpsych.com

Abstract

The 2022 Guidelines for Parenting Plan Evaluations in

Family Law Cases were developed taking into account

membership feedback which identified guidance around

issues of Diversity Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) as a high pri-

ority. The current Guidelines have integrated issues of

diversity in many areas of the document, by adding a

section on guiding principles and values, expanding and

clarifying evaluator education and training, and embedding

cultural and diversity considerations in many sections of

the document. The Guidelines do not provide more direct

instruction or education on specific topics or aspects of

culture and diversity.

KEYWORDS

cultural competence, DE&I, diversity, guidelines, custody

evaluation

Key points for the family court community

•The AFCC community recognizes the importance of

understanding and including issues of diversity and

culture in Parenting Plan Evaluations.

•The Guidelines have adopted an integrated approach to

emphasizing DE&I considerations in key areas of the

Parenting Plan Evaluation process.

Thank you to Andrea Jones, MSW., RSW., a registered social worker in Ontario, Canada and a fellow member of the AFCC Task Force for Model Standards

of Practice for Child Custody Evaluations and the AFCC Committee on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

DOI: 10.1111/fcre.12693

© 2022 Association of Family and Conciliation Courts.

54 Family Court Rev. 2023;61:54–57.

wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/fcre