Iowa Center for Children's Justice

Iowa Center for Childrens Justice is a nonprofit organization providing legal representation and support for Polk and Dallas County children ages 6 to 16 with parents involved in high-conflict divorce or custody disputes. As one of only a few programs of its kind in the nation, we believe that providing children with a safe space to share and learn about divorce, and access to knowledgeable legal advocates, helps the entire family move forward with realistic dispute resolutions.

We also provide child-focused mediation for parents, parenting coordination, and educational childrens workshops on coping with divorce, offering much-needed encouragement and alternative paths toward healthy solutions.

As a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, we rely on grant funding and the support of our sponsors and donors to provide our programs and services that support children of divorce and custody disputes.

Iowa Center for Children's Justice elevates children's views in custody matters and promotes child-focused solutions through legal representation, education and alternative dispute resolution. Our services include:

Legal Representation for Children: Attorneys work one-on-one with children to listen, support and advocate for child-focused resolutions in high-conflict custody cases.

Divorce Workshops for Children: Trained facilitators provide caring and respectful age-appropriate education about divorce. Workshop completion is required for children whose parents file for divorce in Polk County.

Child-Focused Mediation: Attorneys work with parents involved in custody disputes to find solutions that benefit the entire family. Mediation can be used as an alternative to the courts or to fulfill a legal requirement of the divorce process.

Parenting Coordination: Attorneys work with parents post-divorce to help them resolve day-to-day parenting conflicts and issues with adhering to their parenting plan. Parenting coordination can be court ordered or voluntarily sought by parents.

Neutral Evaluation: An opportunity for parents and attorneys involved in a divorce or custody case to receive impartial evaluation of the potential outcome. Early neutral evaluation is voluntary, confidential, and can occur any time after a case has been filed in court.