Dear friend,

Earlier this year, Jesse, a case manager supporting families in crisis, reached out to us about mediation. Her clients, Tyler and Sarah, were living in a motel room with their two children. With only two weeks left of covered lodging, the family was facing a potential return to homelessness. The clock was ticking. 

Both parents faced significant barriers to finding housing including previous evictions and Tyler’s criminal record. To increase her chances of getting approved, Sarah quietly applied for a few listings without including Tyler. When she was finally accepted for a small house in the county, she was nervous about telling Tyler. She had survived violent incidents with him several years ago, and although their relationship had improved to the point of co-parenting in the same home, she feared what might happen after sharing her plan to move away from Tyler with the kids.

Knowing this history, Jesse suggested that they try mediation at the WDRC. She hoped it would offer a safe environment to talk honestly, reduce conflict, and create a clear plan before the supportive services expired. Within days, we were able to make this mediation meeting happen.

During their session, Jesse explained the looming deadline and her hopes for an agreement. Tyler shared that the children’s safety and stability were his top priorities, and that he wanted healthier communication moving forward. When it was Sarah’s turn, she tearfully told Tyler about the house in the county for the first time. Tyler listened thoughtfully and nodded his head from time to time. It was hard news to hear, but since the mediators had asked him to focus on listening instead of responding, he was able to take it in with grace. The mediators noticed Tyler and Sarah’s shared opinion as a co-parenting team: this was the best decision for their kids.

With the hardest conversation behind them, their ideas started to flow more freely. The mediators prompted them to brainstorm back-up plans in case the lease fell through, identify ways to keep the kids in the same school, and talk through how to handle future parenting challenges with openness and respect. Tyler and Sarah agreed to identify a halfway point to meet when future issues about their kids’ care arose and to speak openly and honestly with each other. The mediators were able to formalize all this progress in a written settlement agreement, which gave Tyler, Sarah, and Jesse confidence that the next steps would be completed.

A month later, Jesse sent us this note:



“You guys are FANTASTIC!!! It was incredible how quick you were able to get my clients in for a meeting, and if it wasn’t for you, my client wouldn’t be housed and would have lost out on signing the lease. My clients are getting along together as well. Thank you so much!”

Mediation can be a difficult space to enter. The challenges our clients face are often systemic, scary, and deeply personal. While mediation can’t remove every barrier to stable housing or healthy family relationships, it offers something rare and powerful: the chance to face conflict with support, communicate in new ways, and reach resolutions no one thought possible.

Thanks to donors like you, our clients can access these services at no cost. Your generosity ensures mediation remains an accessible resource for people working hard to stay housed, healthy, and hopeful. We hope you’ll help us continue this essential work for families like Sarah and Tyler’s.

Moonwater

WDRC Executive Director