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       Quebec Justice Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette at the legislature in Quebec City on Dec. 10, 2020.

       Jacques Boissinot/The Canadian Press

       Quebec is introducing a mediation pilot project that the government says could lead to better child protection intervention.

       Justice Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette, Junior health Minister Lionel Carmant and Public Security Minister Genevieve Guilbault announced today in a release Quebec hopes to improve interventions with an independent, free and fast mediation service.

       The release says mediation is a possible new avenue before going to court and will be offered after a deadlock or when voluntary agreements are refused.

       Jolin-Barrette says the project will encourage parents to find better solutions outside the court, which often can lead to negative repercussions for the children.

       The project is a result of recommendations made by the Commission on Children’s Rights and Youth Protection, following a two-year investigation that was prompted by the April 2019 death of a seven-year-old girl in Granby, Que.

       It will gradually be implemented in the provincial capital judicial district before being introduced in other areas throughout 2022.

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