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Description of CFI, Child and Family Investigator's Role:
A Child and Family Investigator can be either a Licensed Mental Health Professional or an Attorney who is an experienced professional in their field and has completed specialized training to be a Child and Family Investigator. At Stoney Creek Family Resources we are trained CFIs who are licensed Mental health professionals.
A CFI is appointed by the Court on a case by case basis. Prior to starting an investigation, the CFI must have an Order from a Judge specifically stating the name of the CFI and specifies the scope of the investigative responsibility and any specific issues which are to be addressed. A Judge might appoint a CFI to assist in cases where the parents have been unable to independently make decisions regarding Parental Responsibility in two major areas: Parenting Time and Decision Making Authority, in accordance with CRS 14-20-124 (1.50(a).
In the process of the CFI investigation, any and all information gathered by the CFI will be included in the case file. This includes: handwritten notes, notes taken during interviews and telephone conversations, parent responses to written questionnaires, responses to the the investigator's questions which were asked in structured interviews. This also includes the questionnaires completed and notes from any interviews with personal references, teachers, health care providers, counselors or therapists. In addition, any materials supplied by aeither parent or a Many parents going through a divorce may want to know "What does a particular CFI know about raising children. We believe it is important for you to know this about us, we have two young adult children, a son and a daughter who are in the early stages of launching professional careers. From our own experience we understand that no two chldren are alike. Each child has his or her unique temperament from the moment they are born or as some research indicates even prior to then, in utero.
Child and Family Investigators are according to Colorado statutes, neutral third parties who are appointed to assist the Judge in making decisions about parenting. When the parents are unable to agree on a CFI, they are each asked to submit the names of three to the Court and then the decision is made by the Judge. Divorcing parents and attorneys are often interested in seeking out Child and Family Investigators who have a track record of making recommendations that are likely to be more favorable to their position. When the process of selecting a CFI is conducted in this manner, the results of the investigation are likely to be slanted in the direction of the prevailing party, reinforcing a Win-Lose result. Potentially, this may also impact how the CFI relates to each parent as well as how each parent relates to the CFI. A parent who has felt like he or she was dominated in the marriage and if their spouse prevails in the selection of the CFI, it is not uncommon for that parent to approach the investigation with a defeated attitude, and without careful exploration by an open-minded CFI there are many risks for drawing incorrect conclusions.
While stated that a CFI is a neutral third party, the reality is the CFI will make judgments about each parent, and hopefully, those are not prematurely drawn. Information gathered during the investigation is data that needs to be reviewed in terms of whether it is an isolated incident that can be explained by situational stressors; a pattern of behavior that appears in multiple contexts; level of awareness regarding emotional triggers related to experiences earlier in life; an openness to disclosing times that they could have chosen a more effective response; an understanding of how their behavior may affect their children. When parents have a strong need to "appear to be the ideal parent," sadly they miss out on receiving recommendations which could direct them toward interventions that might improve everyone's adjustment to the divorce.
When a CFI has been selected because their recommendations typically support one parent or the other, the CFi is vulnerable to losing perspective and being taken in by the parent who needs "to look good." When this dynamic is operating, the Investigator is less likely to check out the "positive attributes" of one parent and will assume they are true and then more likely to assume the "negative qualities" of the other parent are valid without thoroughly checking them out . In situations like these the children are caught in the middle of their parents' divorce and when a CFI speaks to them, they may or may not be reporting their actual experiences. Children are frequently influenced by one or both parents with regard to "what to say or what not to say" and it is important for a CFI to be able to discern when coaching may have taken place. If a CFI has prematurely drawn conclusions then they will be listening selectively to the children's responses for confirmation of their earlier perceptions of each parent and less likely to take in new information that might challenge conclusions already made.
While the intention of the investigation is to address The Best Interests of the Children, the children's needs too frequently become lost in the process. In many respects there has been a shift in courts away from Best Interests and toward Parental Rights. The CFI is ordered to make recommendations to the Court on the most appropriate parenting time schedule and whether the parents will have joint decision-making authority or if it will be split between the parents based on issues, medical decisions by one parent and educational by the other; or if decision-making on all issues will be assigned to one parent. Additionally, the CFI will make recommendations about the parenting schedule that best meets the children's emotional, physical and educational needs. The issue of overnights with the children frequently becomes a "financial" issue and parents often fight about this allegedly based on the children's needs; however, in many cases it is more about the parent's finacial needs or circumstances.
At Stoney Creek Family Resources, we believe in the importance of chldren having a continued relationship with both of their parents. All children and especially thechildren of divorcing parents need a Mother and a Father to play active roles in their lives. In our recommendations, we highlight the strehgths and growth potential for each parent; the contributions each parent is able to make to their chldren; and identify resources that may be needed by both children and parents to enhance each person's ability to make a successful transition through the divorce. For many reasons it is sometimes difficult for parents to put their children's needs ahead of their own and we understand that and consider parents' willingness to learn new response strategies.
WHAT DO PARENTS, CHILDREN AND ATTORNEYS NEED FROM A CFI?
PARENTS' NEEDS:
- To feel that the CFI is interested in learning about each parent
- To feel that the CFI grasps the importance of their children in their lives
- To feel that the CFI perceives their strenghs
- To feel that the CFI is neutral and unbiased throughout the investigative process
- To feel that the CFI grasps that they are more stressed right now than perhaps they have ever been at any other time in their life
- To sense the CFI sees their parenting strengths and positive contribution they make to their children'slives
- To feel the CFi understands their concerns and grasps the complexity of their family situation
- To have confidence that the CFI can make recommendations that will be win-wins for both the parents and the children
CHILDREN'S NEEDS:
- To feel the CFI likes children and is interested in hearing what they have to say
- To feel safe speaking with the CFI about their feelings and concerns
- To feel that the CFI is really listening to them, their voice is being heard and their wishes taken into consideration
- To feel the CFI understands that they love both of their parents
- To feel the CFI is astute, able to read between the lines, aware that children may be coached by one or both parents, and there may be many different reasons why it might be hard to open up
- To sense that the CFI believes it is important for both of their parents to be involved in their lives
ATTORNEYS' NEEDS
- To receive a clearly written report that logically documents the data that was used to support the conclusions drawn with recommendations on how each parent might address specific weaknesses if identified
- To have stated the steps which may need to be undertaken to accomplish recommendations
- To have good communication with the CFI during the investigative process, and to be kept informed and to be included in telephone conferences with opposing counsel
- To have a CFI who is skilled in helping the attorneys and parties understand the findings and possibly serving as a resource in attempts to settle the case
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